North Carolina Turkeys Receiving Presidential Pardon

Author Phil Harris

November 21st, 2022 9:15 AM

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Every year, just before Thanksgiving, two turkeys are granted reprieves from the dinner table via White House edict. This week, those turkeys are coming from a ranch in the Charlotte area.

The New York Post reports that the two turkeys, named Chocolate and Chip, were selected from Circle S Ranch in Monroe, North Carolina by the National Turkey Federation. President Joe Biden will participate in the annual tradition Monday (11/21) on the White House South Lawn.

The history of the turkey pardonings is a bit hazy. The White House Historical Association believes it could date back to President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. However, the pardons truly became an annual tradition under President George H. W. Bush, who occupied the White House from 1989 to 1993.

After this year’s pardoning ceremony, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will fly to North Carolina, to share a Thanksgiving meal with service members and their families at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Dubbed a “Friendsgiving” dinner, it’s part of the White House’s “Joining Forces” initiative.

Following their pardon, Chocolate and Chip will be transported to Raleigh to live out the rest of their days at North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Until then, the turkey twosome are enjoying luxurious, first-class accommodations at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in our nation’s capital.

NTF is pleased to welcome the National Thanksgiving Turkey and alternate to Washington, D.C.! Join us at 1 p.m. ET when we introduce these celebrity gobblers from North Carolina as they prepare for a visit to the @WhiteHouse on Monday.

Watch live 🦃👉 https://t.co/1BR3y5hVUx pic.twitter.com/ISyTMQtb7M
— National Turkey Federation (@natlturkeyfed) November 20, 2022

The National Thanksgiving Turkeys made it safely to D.C. with @natlturkeyfed and are getting the star treatment with a walk on the @WillardHotel red carpet. pic.twitter.com/8my0aBbOJY
— NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (@NCStateCALS) November 19, 2022

🔑 Checking in! Upon arriving in D.C., the National Thanksgiving Turkeys received the full red carpet treatment along with a photoshoot before tucking in for the night. A special thanks to the @WillardHotel for pulling out all the stops for these special birds. pic.twitter.com/vtI1ExsfOw
— National Turkey Federation (@natlturkeyfed) November 20, 2022

It’s been a busy day for two turkeys! Chocolate & Chip hosted a “press gobble”🎤 at the @WillardHotel and met lots of new friends. Now, it’s time for some rest before heading to the @WhiteHouse tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/n3jKZK6lw7
— National Turkey Federation (@natlturkeyfed) November 20, 2022

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

North Carolina Is One Of The Best Places To Go For Thanksgiving 2022

Do you plan on traveling in or out of North Carolina this Thanksgiving? Or perhaps you have family traveling to you. Everyone loves Thanksgiving. Good food, family, football, and the start of the Holiday season. It’s also a chance to reflect on all the things for which we are grateful. Thanksgiving is centered on family and gratefulness, but like pretty much every other, it’s still become a highly commercialized holiday. A lot of this is related to the next day being Black Friday. And black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Not only that but just a few days later is Cyber Monday, which brings scores of online deals. Last year, Wallet Hub reports that consumers spent a little over $300 per person between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.

You might be glad to know that North Carolina is one of the best places you can go for Thanksgiving. This is according to a WalletHub study. To help Americans find the best places to go for Thanksgiving without breaking the bank, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on 20 key metrics. The data set ranges from the cost of Thanksgiving dinner and the share of delayed flights to volunteer opportunities per capita and forecasted precipitation. And based on these metrics, not one, but study North Carolina cities made the top 10. Two other NC cities were in the top 25 as well.

Keep reading to see where each North Carolina city ranked. You can read the full WalletHub study here.

Best Cities For Thanksgiving
According to a WalletHub Study.
1. Atlanta, Georgia

Total Score: 72.26

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 1

Affordability: 20

Safety & Accessibility: 86
2. Orlando, FL

Total Score: 70.07

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 2

Affordability: 30

Safety & Accessibility: 47
3. Las Vegas, NV

Total Score: 67.35

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 3

Affordability: 32

Safety & Accessibility: 37
4. Raleigh, NC

Total Score: 64.13

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 63

Affordability: 6

Safety & Accessibility: 4
5. Gilbert, AZ

Total Score: 63.59

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 23

Affordability: 62

Safety & Accessibility: 27
6. Tampa, FL

Total Score: 62.55

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 5

Affordability: 68

Safety & Accessibility: 54
7. Plano, TX

Total Score: 62.29

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 62

Affordability: 11

Safety & Accessibility: 28
8. Durham, NC

Total Score: 61.71

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 54

Affordability: 28

Safety & Accessibility: 20
9. Irving, TX

Total Score: 61.29

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 54

Affordability: 28

Safety & Accessibility: 20
10. Miami, FL

Total Score: 61.25

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 4

Affordability: 78

Safety & Accessibility: 41
Other North Carolina Cities
17. Charlotte

Total Score: 59.78

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 36

Affordability: 25

Safety & Accessibility: 29
23. Greensboro, NC

Total Score: 58.12

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 28

Affordability: 50

Safety & Accessibility: 57
59. Winston-Salem, NC

Total Score: 52.90

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions: 39

Affordability: 80

Safety & Accessibility: 32
Thanksgiving in Charlotte (1=Best; 50=Avg.):
40^th – Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner

6^th – Share of Delayed Flights near Thanksgiving Holiday

52^nd – Forecasted Thanksgiving Precipitation

48^th – Thanksgiving Events per Capita

32^nd – Traffic Congestion

47^th – Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Thanksgiving Facts:
$301 – Average person’s spending over the five-day Thanksgiving period.

9 Hrs. 27 Mins. – Length of time the average American male would need to spend on the treadmill to burn the 4,500 calories consumed at the average Thanksgiving meal.

$835 Million – Estimated amount Americans spend on Thanksgiving turkeys each year, with 46 million turkeys killed for the holiday.

$26 Million – Amount of property loss caused by residential building fires each Thanksgiving.

66% – Share of people celebrating Thanksgiving who try to avoid having to talk politics at the dinner table.