I don’t want to call this Governor Palin’s farewell weekend as she hands the reigns over to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell tomorrow in Fairbanks. It’s not farewell because while she may be done as Alaska’s governor, she’s being liberated to further make a difference nationally.
Every year she’s been in office they host a series of “Governor’s picnics” Last night’s was in her home town of Wasilla, today there is one in Anchorage, and tomorrow in Fairbanks.
Anchorage Daily News reported thousands on hand for her picnic last night in Wasilla:
Thousands showed up Friday for Gov. Sarah Palin’s annual picnic held in her hometown of Wasilla:
Palin, who is resigning and leaves office on Sunday, used the occasion, one of a series of picnics she is hosting this weekend, to sign autographs and hand out hot dogs.
The governor — dressed in blue jeans and a red New England Patriots sweatshirt — was mobbed by well-wishers who offered up babies, books, calendars, skateboards and even their hands for autographs. Several longtime picnic-goers said this year’s picnic crowd dwarfed last year’s.
Event coordinators planned for about 5,000 attendees. They roasted 4,008 hot dogs and had fixings for about 4,000 root-beer floats.
You can see KTUU coverage here. This even received coverage in England. A lot of pictures here.
There were several bloggers on hand for last night’s picnic. Adrienne Ross from New York who’s out there visiting blogged about it here and here. Adrienne is the media director for the New York chapter of 2012 Draft Sarah Committee. Tracy Porreca, a Wasilla resident blogged about it here. She’s a new member of Bloggers for Sarah Palin of which I’m a member. If you blog and support Sarah Palin you should join.
Thanks to Josh Painter for pointing me to other Alaskan bloggers who were there. Tammy Swofford blogged about it and has photos. June who blogs at Sunhusky’s Alaska shared here. Ben Wargo another Alaska resident blogged here.
She kept away from talking politics, but instead focused on the military in her speech last night.