Barack Obama

“ We are grateful to the countless Americans who serve their communities in soup kitchens and shelters, looking out for those who are less fortunate, and lifting up those who have fallen on hard times. This generosity, this compassion, this belief that we are each other's keepers, is essential to who we are, not just on this day, but every day. ”

“ We are reminded that this creed, and America itself, was never an inevitability, but the result of ordinary people in every generation doing their part to uphold our founding ideals -- by taking the blessings of freedom, and multiplying them for those who would follow. ”

“ As President Kennedy once wrote, even as we give thanks for all that we've inherited from those who came before us -- "the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which they possessed," we must also remember that "the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." ”

“ Like many of you, we'll spend the day with family and friends, catching up, eating some good food and watching a little football. Before we lift a fork, we lend a hand by going out in the community to serve some of our neighbors in need. ”