Annual White House Ceremony
President Barack Obama pardons Abe the turkey today in the Rose Garden at The White House, with left to right, rep from Jaindl Farms that raised the turkeyand National Turkey Federation Chairman Jihad Douglas.| Photo by Cheriss May, Howard University News Service
WASHINGTON — President Obama pardoned the National Thanksgiving Turkey in an annual ceremony in the Rose Garden the day before the nation celebrated Thanksgiving. The president, joined by daughters, Sasha and Malia, celebrated the 68th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation.
First daughters Sasha and Malia joined their dad, President Barack Obama,
in the Rose Garden at the White House for the annual Turkey Pardon ceremony.
| Photo by Cheriss May, Howard University News Service
The president pardoned Honest and its alternate Abe. Both are 18-week old, 40-pound turkeys. The names of the turkeys were chosen from submissions from California school children.
After the pardoning, the turkeys will be on display for visitors at their permanent home at Morven Park’s “Turkey Hill,” the historic turkey farm located at the home of former Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis (1918-1922) in Leesburg, Virginia.
Both birds were raised in the Central Valley of California under the supervision of National Turkey Federation Chairman Dr. Jihad Douglas.
The National Turkey Federation will bring two turkeys from Jaindl Farms for the First Family to donate to Capital Area Food Bank in Washington.
