With the Thanksgiving Holiday upon us, it is customary to highlight what we are thankful for. So here is my list.
I am thankful for the great first year I had here in Roanoke. I am thankful that I have a wonderful wife to share my life with and have been able to meet new friends here. I am thankful for my new church home in Roanoke’s southeast and my house in Raleigh Court.
I am thankful for a Mayor and Council that deeply care about our community and the success of Roanoke’s residents and families. I am thankful for the 1,700 employees that work diligently every day to keep our city safe, vibrant, and successful. I am thankful for all those who work for our community partners ensuring we have safe drinking water, educating our children, promoting our community and economy, and providing us with transportation to and from our city.
I am thankful for all the nonprofits, organizations, and churches working tirelessly to help those most in need. I am thankful for the great arts and cultural groups in our community that add vitality and excitement to our city. I am thankful for all the businesses – big and small –
providing jobs, goods, and services for our city, our region and our nation.
Perhaps most significantly, I am thankful for every resident that calls Roanoke home. You hold the jobs that contribute to our economy, raise our community’s children, and provide the tax revenue that allows your government to deliver the services you need and want. You donate money to the charities and nonprofits that help those in need, and you get out and vote to ensure those who hold elected office reflect your values and aspirations. On a more personal note, it is you who have welcomed this new guy and his family from Texas into your wonderful community.
So, as you gather with your friends and family this Thanksgiving, take a few moments to think about all the wonderful things here in Roanoke we have to be thankful for!
- Bob Cowell