STATE OF OHIO

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

COLUMBUS

 RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, for over 200 years family and friends have gathered in celebration of Thanksgiving, known world-wide as “The American Custom,” to give thanks for the blessings of freedom, peace and plenty; and

WHEREAS, our nation’s first President, George Washington, issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer be observed by acknowledging with grateful heart the many signal flavors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness;” and

WHEREAS, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln renewed the tradition of proclaiming a day set aside for giving thanks, a tradition that has been followed annually ever since; and

WHEREAS, from the days of the earliest colonists to the present, the giving and receiving of thanks creates a universal bond that bridges differences between people of diverse origins and beliefs; and

WHEREAS, as we approach the year 2000, “The International Year of Thanksgiving,” it is important for all Ohioans to continue this tradition and reflect on our rich and bountiful blessings.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BOB TAFT, Governor of the State of Ohio, do hereby encourage all citizens to celebrate THANKSGIVING DAY by gathering in homes, places of worship, or community centers to share the spirit of goodwill and prayer, to offer sincere gratitude for our rich blessings’, and to remember our heritage built on the sound morals and strong character of the early settlers of our country.

On this 25tgh day of November, 1999

Bob Taft

Governor