♪♪ ♪♪ >>> GOOD MORNING.

WELCOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL STATE CAPITAL TODAY FOR THE LIGHT OF THE TREE.

GOVERNOR, FIRST LADY, FIRST FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SECRETARY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

JUST WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS EVERY YEAR.

THE GEORGIA STATE PATROL, GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION AND LANDSCAPE STAFF WHO SACRIFICED THEIR WEEKENDS LEADING UP TODAY TO LOCATING THE TREAT AND DECORATING THE TREE AND PREPARING THE CAPITOL FOR THIS EVENT.

LISA AND DALE RING ARE HERE, AND THEY DONATED THIS TREE SO THANK YOU.

THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR STATE EMPLOYEES ARE PARTNERING WITH CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS TO HELP ASSURE THAT EVERY CHILD AND FOSTER CARE RECEIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

UNFORTUNATELY, CLARK COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.

HE ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS MORNING THAT HE IS PREPARING FOR HEART SURGERY THIS WEEK.

JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR CLARK'S COMPLETE HEALING AND SPEEDY RECOVERY.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING HIM BACK NEXT WEEK.

HOWEVER, WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE CLARK'S WIFE LANE HOWARD REPRESENTING HIM TODAY.

LANE IS AN ACTRESS, A PRODUCER, A WRITER.

SHE AND CLARK HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND THEIR PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED THROUGHOUT ATLANTA AND THE STATE OF GEORGIA.

SHE IS HERE WITH HER SON GRANT.

PLEASE WELCOME LANE HOWARD.

>> GOOD MORNING!

I AM HERE -- THANK YOU, GERALD.

AS GERALD SAID I'M HERE WITH MY SON GRANT AND OUR DAUGHTER REBECCA.

GRANT WOULD LOVE HERE TODAY BUT HE IS IN HIS PRE-OP THIS MORNING AND HE SENT US TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE GOVERNOR KEMP AND FIRST LADY AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY AND EVERYONE WHO MAKES CHRISTMAS KIDS, CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS WORK EVERY YEAR.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE KIDS IN FOSTER CARE ALL OVER GEORGIA BY NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.

AND THIS TIME OF YEAR IS ESPECIALLY HARD FOR THEM.

SO WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO IS PUT SEVERAL GIFTS IN THEIR HANDS AND GIFTS THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR SO THAT THEY HAVE THEM UNDER THE TREE CHRISTMAS MORNING.

YOU KNOW, THE REAL THING THAT CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS DOES IS IT NOT ONLY GIVES THEM SOME GIFT THAT THEY MIGHT WANT BUT IT GIVES THEM HOPE.

THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE, SOME STRANGER THAT IS THINKING ABOUT THEM AND SENDING THEM A LITTLE LOVE AND YOU CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE THAT.

SO WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

YOU CAN GO TO CLARKSCHRISTMASKIDS.COM AND PICK OUT A CHILD AND NAME AND AGE AND WHERE THEY LIVE AND FIND GIFTS FOR THEM OR DONATE MONEY AND WE ARE HAPPY TO END OUR ELVES OUT TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

IT'S BEEN 33 YEARS THAT CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE.

THANK YOU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ TO HEAR THE ANGEL VOICES ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ NOT SO LONG AGO NOT SO LONG AGO ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

FIRST LADY MARTY KEMP, JARED, LUCY, AMY PORTER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND THAT WE HAVE IN THIS EVENT SO WE APPRECIATE IT.

THE GOVERNOR TOLD ME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SHORT INTRODUCTIONS ARE PREFERRED AND I WORK FOR HIM, SO WILL YOU PLEASE WELCOME THE 83rd GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP?

>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU, GERALD.

SHORT INTRODUCTIONS.

JUST MAKE SURE THE TREE LIGHTS, RIGHT?

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND I WANT TO THANK YOU TIME AND THE GEORGIA BUILDING AUTHORITY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS BUILDING IS JUST INCREDIBLE.

LET'S GIVE THE BUILDING AUTHORITY A HAND FOR THEIR GREAT WORK.

WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT YOU ALL HAVE JOINED US TODAY FOR THIS GREAT CELEBRATION BUT, ALSO, THIS GREAT TRADITION.

WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE THE GREAT FIRST LADY MARTY KEMP, BEST FIRST LADY IN THE COUNTRY AND THE FIRST THREE DAUGHTERS WITH US TODAY.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE EVENT AND ONE THAT MEANS A LOT TO THE GIRLS AND MARTY AND I.

WE ARE JUST HORNEDS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU -- YOU ALL.

I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS THAT ARE SHEER AND SECRETARY IS HERE AND SPEAKER BURNS AND POLICE DALE.

WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.

I KNOW MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

MANY OF THOSE FOLKS ARE NOT HERE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR SO HAPPY THEY HAVE WITH US TODAY TO EXPERIENCE THIS INCREDIBLE EVENT' WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.

ALSO, JUST IN EDITION TO THE GBA STAFF, WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING LAST NIGHT OF THE LAWN OF THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION SO IT LOOKS INCREDIBLE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU THE ATLANTA BOY CHOIR AGAIN FOR SHARING THEIR WONDERFUL GIFT OF MUSIC WITH US TODAY.

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THESE FOLKS, THEIR MUSIC IN THIS BUILDING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

I KNOW CLARK IS NOT WITH US TODAY BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK CLARK HOWARD.

I KNOW HE IS PREPARING FOR HEART SURGERY.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, LIKE WE KNOW, CLARK HAS A BIG HEART.

HE WORKS HARD SO IT'S NO SURPRISE HE MAY NEED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF WORK ON IT BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE HIM IN OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR PRAYERS.

I WANT TO THANK LANE AND REBECCA I TOLD HIM THEY REPRESENT US WELL AND WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE THE PASSION YOU HAVE JUST LIKE HE DOES FOR OUR FOSTER KIDS.

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT CANDACE AND THE WHOLE TEAM AT FAMILY CHILDREN SERVICES AND ANOTHER YEAR OF CLARK'S CHRISTMAS KIDS.

WHEN YOU WATCH OUR STATE EMPLOYEES, THE HOWARD'S AND OTHER GEORGIIANS REALLY DIG DEEP AND HELP OUR FOSTER KIDS EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS, IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE THING TO SEE AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE ROY FAMILY THAT IS WITH US HERE ON THE FRONT ROW.

THEY DONATED THE TREE TO US THIS YEAR FROM UP IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHTFUL GIFT AND THE JOY THAT IT WILL BRING TO SO MANY OF YOUR FELLOW GEORGIIANS THIS YEAR, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

EACH YEAR, THIS EVENT GIVES US ALL TIME TO REFLECT ON THE MANY BLESSINGS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE HAVE MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.

AND CHRISTMAS REMINDS US TO CONSIDER THE WAYS WE CAN SHARE THOSE BLESSINGS WITH OTHERS.

IN THE COMING DAYS, THE HALLS OF OUR CAPITOL WILL START TO FILL WITH THE DONATIONS FROM PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE STATE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GEORGIA'S FOSTER CHILDREN RECEIVE GIFTS ON CHRISTMAS.

EACH YEAR, MARTY, THE GIRLS AND I ARE INSPIRED BY THE GENEROSITY OF ALL PEOPLE FROM GEORGIA AND WE WILL SEE THAT ON FULL DISPLAY AS YOU HELP TO MAKE SURE THESE YOUNG CHILDREN FEEL YOUNG AND CARED FOR.

TO ME, THAT IS THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS AS WE CELEBRATED THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL, JESUS CHRIST.

FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS BIRTH, JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY, OF SERVICE, AND OF GOD'S LOVE.

THAT OVERWHELMING GIFT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE THE SEASON.

THE HOPE HE GIVES SHINES EVEN IN THE DARKEST PLACES, SIMILAR TO THE THOUSANDS OF LIGHTS THAT WILL SOON SHINE ON THAT TREE.

AS WE PREPARE FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CHRISTMAS SEASON BRINGS US, LET US NOT FORGET THE SACRIFICES MADE BY THOSE WHO ALLOW US THE FREEDOM TO CELEBRATE.

I WANT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT AND THANK OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN LAERMT AND MANY WHO ARE WATCHING OVER US DURING THIS CEREMONY.

OUR SMILT SERVICE MEMBERS AND ESPECIALLY REMEMBER THOSE WHO WON'T SPEND THIS HOLIDAY WITH THEIR FAMILIES WHILE THEY WORK TO PROTECT THEIR FELLOW GEORGIANS.

THE GIRLS AND I WISH ALL GEORGIANS A SAFE AND GORGEOUS HOLIDAY SEASON.

ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, MEMPHIS.

NOW WE WILL HEAR ONE MORE SONG FROM THE ATLANTA BOY CHOIR AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO LIGHT THIS BIG OLE TREE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> EVERYBODY IS READY.

COUNTDOWN WITH US.

5-4-3-2-1.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

>> MERRY CHRISTMAS.

>> AWESOME.

>> NICE.

>> THAT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

>> I WANT TO GET A PICTURE HERE.

>> LOOKS REALLY GOOD.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪