Presbyterian Minister Creates 'Tree' to Put 'Thanks' Back Into Thanksgiving
2003年10月28日 - 7:03PM
PRニュース・ワイアー (英語)
Presbyterian Minister Creates 'Tree' to Put 'Thanks' Back Into
Thanksgiving PITTSBURGH, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- What is
the focal point of your family's Thanksgiving celebration? A table
full of food for the annual feast, or a post-turkey football game?
Is Thanksgiving nothing more than an unusually large meal squeezed
somewhere between Halloween and Christmas? Frank C. Bates, a
Pittsburgh resident, wants to change all that and give Thanksgiving
a turkey transplant, with the giving of thanks getting equal
billing to the bird. "As Americans, we have much for which to be
grateful," says Bates, "but we often have difficulty expressing it.
The Thanksgiving Tree helps families express their gratitude in a
way that is easy, natural, and fun." Bates, a Presbyterian
minister, developed the Thanksgiving Tree Family Celebration Kit,
which he sees as much more than a holiday decoration. He hopes it
will become a tangible symbol for Thanksgiving, serving in a
similar capacity to the Christmas tree and the Menorah for
Hanukkah. The 30-inch tree with flexible branches resembles a
miniature maple tree in late fall, and comes with Thank You Leaf
Notes that can be scattered around the base. During the week before
and on the day of Thanksgiving, family members and friends are
asked to write messages of appreciation and gratitude on Leaf Notes
and hang them on the tree. The reading of the Leaf Notes becomes a
part of the Thanksgiving celebration. The time set aside for
sharing can be enriched by the accompanying Celebration Guide,
which offers a grace, scriptures and prayers, including a National
Prayer of Thanksgiving, written by Dr. Lloyd Olgilvie, Chaplain of
the United States Senate. This is not the first inspirational
product developed by Bates. He has successfully founded and led
several programs in the past, including Thesis Theological
Cassettes, a continuing education program for ministers, and the
Kerygma Program, a series of resources to aid adults in Scriptural
study. Bates hopes to broaden the scope of this initiative beyond
clergy and students of the Bible to include all people, everywhere,
with the Thanksgiving Tree. The Thanksgiving Tree retails for
$19.95, which includes shipping and handling. A portion of the
proceeds from each purchase will benefit a local food bank. To
order, visit http://www.thanksgivingtree.com/ on the internet, or
call toll-free, 1-866-2THANKS (1-866-284-2657). DATASOURCE: Yearick
Millea CONTACT: Trisha Thorne of Yearick Millea, +1-412-323-9320
Web site: http://www.yearick-millea.com/
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