By Donna J. Shoff, President, H.L. Wiker, Inc. and ABC Keystone Chair of the Board

Thanksgiving Day originated in 1621, when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each year in November.

In modern times, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day with our family and loved ones by partaking in a turkey dinner that usually does not meet any healthy diet guidelines. We look forward to this tradition each year and it transitions us into the Christmas season. The Thanksgiving Day holiday provides us with opportunities to reflect on our blessings and offer thanks for all we have. Most of us can find many things to be thankful for in both our personal and professional lives.

Throughout my year as Chair of the ABC Keystone Board, I’ve discovered that the Keystone Chapter has much for which to be thankful. Keystone is blessed by our company members who support the chapter with their membership and by their employees who unselfishly offer their talents by serving in volunteer positions. We are blessed by the enthusiasm and energy that comes with being a high performing chapter of ABC. We are blessed to be a part of a national organization that supports Free Enterprise and Merit Shop philosophies and by knowing that, as a national organization, someone always has our member’s backs with legislative issues in Harrisburg and Washington D.C. We are blessed to have a highly qualified, dedicated, and enthusiastic staff at Keystone; a staff our members can always rely on for assistance when needed.

As I reflect on the past 11 months, I realize that I have a lot more to be thankful for as a result of serving as Chair of the ABC Keystone Board. In addition to being thankful for everything mentioned above, I am thankful for the blessings I received from the people who crossed my path this year. I am blessed to have strengthened existing relationships and to have gained new relationships along the way. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as Chair of the finest ABC chapter on earth!

Best wishes for a wonderful and Blessed Thanksgiving Day!