Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Message from the Governor

November 22, 2011

A Message from the Governor


Dear Friend,

In two days, families across our State will celebrate Thanksgiving. They'll enjoy great food and company, rejoice in the Ravens victory over the 49ers and pore over websites for the best deals on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. But the holidays are about more than that. They're about coming together as a community, celebrating our shared traditions and lending a helping hand to neighbors in need. So as you continue to prepare for the upcoming holidays, I wanted to share three easy ways that you can make it a Maryland holiday.

Volunteer: Marylanders are a compassionate and generous people. In fact, over the past two years alone, 1.3 million Marylanders volunteered nearly 200 million hours of community service, making our State one of the top six states in the nation in the number of hours our people volunteer. That's why we launched the Maryland: Stronger Together campaign to shine a light on the important work of Maryland volunteers and to connect more Marylanders with volunteer opportunities. Visit this site and sign up to volunteer today.

Support Maryland Small Businesses: 85% of Maryland businesses employ fewer than 20 people. These are our neighbors, our friends and our local grocery store owners, and they are the backbone of our local economies. On Saturday November 26, you can help support local Maryland small businesses by shopping for Small Business Saturday. All you need to do is present this flyer at any of the businesses listed on this website and you'll receive a special discount while helping build a stronger future for our communities. When you shop, shop local.

Buy Local: Local food tastes better, it's healthier, it preserves our agricultural traditions and it supports our local economies. We're blessed in Maryland with an abundance of locally grown, manufactured and caught products and there are few better times to buy local than around the holidays. I can say firsthand how delicious a locally raised turkey is, and I cannot wait to eat our family's turkey that's coming straight from Maple Lawn Farms in Howard County, Maryland. Click here for a list of where to buy local near you.
I hope you'll join Katie and me and make it a Maryland Holiday. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,


Martin O'Malley
Governor

P.S. If you plan on traveling this holiday season, know before you go. Check Maryland's new 511.