November 1, 2019
From the Desk of the Mayor
Fellow Citizens, We have concluded another hurricane season with “minimal” impact to Folly. That is very fortunate for us, but while we celebrate this, we must remember there are many other people in the world not so fortunate. It is easy to forget when it does not impact us or our families directly, and the news media has seemed to lose interest in a story that doesn’t “sell” any longer. As we approach this Thanksgiving Season, let us remember those less fortunate and keep them in our prayers and our goodwill. Maybe as the “Crazy Season” approaches, we might even consider donating to help someone recover their lives and skip one or two of those Christmas presents.
Trivia Quiz; Who was the first president to declare a day of Thanksgiving and prayer in America? No, it was not Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln did make Thanksgiving a federal holiday in 1863, declaring the last Thursday in November as the set holiday. He did so at the request of Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” She had campaigned for years to have it set as a federal holiday – a day of thanksgiving and prayer for our nation. So much for the history lesson, as you can read much, much more about Thanksgiving and its celebration. But, as a blessed city I would urge everyone to take a few moments and make a list of what you and I should be thankful for. Maybe even send those lists to me in an email, and we could post them on the city’s website to help all of us be aware of our great blessings. Don’t forget the City’s Community Thanksgiving service. As always, it is held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 24th this year. It will be held this year at the Baptist Church with the service beginning at 6pm. We do ask you to bring some canned goods for use in the Folly Beach Food Bank.
As I close this article I do remind you if you have any questions or concerns for or about the city, please feel free to contact me anytime. tgoodwin@cityoffollybeach.com or 843 729 0298
PS. The first President to declare a day of Thanksgiving was George Washington. In 1789 at the request of Congress, he proclaimed November 26th a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. Constitution.
Mayor Tim
