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Golden LEAF Board member raises Thanksgiving bird receiving presidential pardon

November 23, 2009

Golden LEAF Board member Debbie Worley raised the turkey to be pardoned by President Barack Obama this Thanksgiving, a tradition that is often traced back to President Harry S. Truman.

The President will give a presidential pardon to Courage in the annual ceremony that will take place in the White House's Rose Garden on Wednesday, November 25th. The alternate turkey, Carolina, will be on stand-by in case Courage is unable to perform his duties. Both turkeys were raised on the Worley Family Farm in Princeton, N.C. Courage was named in honor of the troops fighting in the armed forces, and Carolina was named in honor of his birth state.

After the pardoning, the thanksgiving birds will be flown to Disneyland, where Courage will serve as grand marshal of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. After the ceremony, Courage and Carolina will live in Frontierland at Disneyland.

Courage and Carolina were honored by National Turkey Federation Chairman Walter Pelletier and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler in a sendoff celebration at the Worley Farm today. At the ceremony, Troxler noted that North Carolina ranks second in turkey production in the country. The Worleys will travel with their birds to D.C. and California for the pardoning and parade.

Pictured below is Courage, the Worley Farm turkey set to be pardoned by President Obama.