Two homegrown birds are on a Grand Presidential Turkey Tour of Huron today before hitting the road for the nation’s capital.
The turkeys will make the trip to Washington D.C. next week, where they will be presented to President Donald Trump. The presenting of the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the president is a tradition dating back to 1947.
Jeff Sveen, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Dakota Provisions and a native South Dakotan, is the 2018 chair of NTF. Each year, the chairman of the NTF has the opportunity to present the National Thanksgiving Turkey at the White House.
Sveen says the 19-week old turkeys were chosen from a field of 50 birds.
The turkeys were selected based on appearance and personality.
The presidential turkeys were raised under the supervision of Sveen and turkey farmer Ruben Waldner near Huron. The two turkeys are traveling around Huron for a grand send-off which includes stops at five area elementary schools. The students will be asked to submit possible names for the birds, which will then be sent to the White House for consideration.
Sveen says the fowl will be transported to D.C. in the back of an SUV.
Once in Washington D.C., the turkeys will stay in a luxury room at the Willard InterContinental Hotel to await their historic meeting with the President of the United States. Sveen says the Willard is a 5-star hotel and rooms average $500 per night.
This is the first time South Dakota-raised turkeys have been chosen for this honor.