Fellow Americans –
As we gather around the table for Thanksgiving, America250 and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission would like to express our gratitude for your support. We are honored you are a part of our special mission to commemorate the anniversary of our country’s founding.
November has been an extraordinary month for America250 and the momentum continues today. I hope you, your friends and your families tune in later at halftime of the big game today at 12:30 EST between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
During the halftime show, America250, represented by Commissioner Val Crofts and myself, in partnership with the NFL, will present the first-ever national America250 Awards, honoring exemplary Americans who help make our country great. This year’s three recipients will be recognized in categories that include 9/11 Heroes, First Responders, and Community Champions.
November is also Native American Heritage Month. America250 joins the nation in acknowledging the continued contributions of Native nations, communities and peoples to this country. Year round, we honor the diverse cultures of Native Americans and our thoughts should always hold space for Indigenous communities as we recognize the ancestral heritage of the land that makes up our country today. As Americans, we should aspire to be united in repairing and strengthening the bonds of humanity, and work together to build a better future.
We planned and delivered other meaningful programming this month and I encourage you to visit America250.org to learn more. In honor of Veterans Day, we unveiled the 2021 November Salute at the National WWI Memorial and Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. A beautiful tribute to brave service members past and present, the November Salute art installation is a mosaic of pictures forming the image of WWI hero Sgt. Henry Johnson. We also amplified voices through our third Community Conversation – “Beyond the 50 States.” Participating in this Community Conversation wererepresentatives from Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the District of Columbia. Each sharing what our country’s 250th anniversary means to them and their communities.
Later this month, we are hopeful you, like other Americans, will participate in the national tradition of generosity by making a donation to America250 as part of Giving Tuesday on November 30. With your donation, help America250 create a historic and dynamic celebration of our first 250 years of being the greatest democracy the world has ever known.
As we open our homes for Thanksgiving, let’s be sure to keep in our prayers those families who are placing one less setting at the table because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has been a difficult few years, but we will always endure these challenges by coming together as neighbors and a country.
Warmest Regards,
Joseph Daniels
President and CEO, America250
America's Field Trip
Engaging students nationwide to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary!
This contest invites students in grades 3–12 to share their perspectives on what America means to them — and earn the opportunity to travel for field trip experiences at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.