Gov. Gregoire addresses The Links, Incorporated national convention

July 4, 2008

*As Written*

Good morning, and thank you,for the kind introduction.

I first want to welcome all of you to our great City of Seattle.

I know you�ve already been here a few days, and I hope you�ve found the time to get to know the Emerald City.

If you haven�t already � jump on a ferry to Bainbridge Island and back � take a good walk up to Capital Hill � and most of all�

�Go shopping!

We do count on the sales tax here in Washington to educate our kids and do all the other things our folks need�

�And I know you�re an organization dedicated to helping others.

Actually, I noticed on your schedule that you had breakfast at Nordstrom�s flagship store and got your own private shopping spree. I have to admit to a momentary pang of jealousy.

On the other hand, my husband and I are feeling a little tapped out right now. We�ve got a little thing like a wedding for our oldest daughter coming right up.

We call our year-long wedding planning experience �navigating the wedding-industrial complex.�

And my daughter Courtney and I are at the point of telling my husband�

�Just Show up, Shut up, and Pay up.�

I�m kidding of course (sort of). We are very happy and excited about the day to come. And we�re very pleased to be getting a son-in-law � especially in an all female household -- except for Mike.

Anyhow, thank you for picking Seattle this year as the venue for your 36th National Assembly.

It�s an understatement for me to stand up here this morning and tell you what a truly impressive group of women you are, and what a fabulous organization the Links is -- both here and nationally.

My understanding is that at its heart, the Links is all about personal relationships � friendships � which begin at an early age and continue on. These friendships provide the energy for all the wonderful work done by this organization.

A good example of this is Gayle Johnson � the president of your Seattle Chapter.

Gayle tells us that her mother, grandmother, and aunt were founding members of the Seattle chapter. (By the way, they were part of the Gayton family, truly a famous and respected name in these parts both within and outside African-American circles.)

Gayle remembers as a 12-year-old � when she was an �heir-o-link� � organizing other kids to take on tasks within the Links. Today, she and some of those other kids are full-fledged Links.

All that history and time together makes them a powerful group of women.

And I think you probably could tell the same story about every woman in this room. Strong relationships make the Links a very effective organization.

Women have always understood that the basis for everything � the foundation for getting anything done -- is strong relationships.

And clearly, since its founding in 1946, the Links gets things done�

�With your support of issues ranging from the need for bone marrow donations for minority populations to its decision to help the Susan G. Komen Foundation fight breast cancer, and to support Habitat for Humanity...

�With your strong support for services and programs for youth � from drug prevention programs to educational opportunities including scholarships to traditionally black colleges...

�With your active support for people in Africa and the Caribbean to build schools and otherwise make life better for less fortunate people...

�And with your support of the arts � especially African-American art.

In closing, I want to commend and congratulate the Links for being such a force for good, and a force for understanding and change in our communities, in our country, and in the world.

Thank you for coming to Seattle, and thank you for all that you do.

And have a Happy Fourth of July!