Transcript of Watch live: San Francisco Bay area after 7.0 magnitude earthquake

It's like to see a sea of all. The hearts and minds and spirits of our young people that we open to the awe and wonder of our natural world and to our shared history and their duty to protect it. On behalf of all of us at the National Heart Foundation, thank you for being here for tonight. Thank you for protecting these places, our common inheritance, so that our children and every American can see them and share with them for generations to come. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. And as always, see you in the parks.

All right.

Thank you so much. Well, hi, Lucy. Hi there. Lucy is from the National Park Service, and those employees have all different kinds of jobs you know.

I'm so excited to introduce Lucy Perlitt. She's an outreach and digital communication specialist with the National Park Service, and she is all about helping kids, teens, and young adults connect with their National Park Service through fun and meaningful paid jobs, internships, service projects, and volunteer opportunities. Lucy, you work right here in Washington, DC? I do.

Thanks, Kaylyn. Happy holidays, everyone.

Lucy, can you believe I will mention that this is my 10th year and one of the best highlights of my year. I look forward to this each and every year. It's because I get to meet so many wonderful people with the National Park Service. So thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate that. And wow, Annie, that's incredible. And thank you. It's so great to meet you. And hello to all of you out there in the with us tonight. Welcome park visitors. I know there are also National Park Service employees, interns, volunteers, retirees, and military veterans out there in the audience as well. I love how the work we do in the National Park Service is such an intergenerational effort. We couldn't do it without all of you. I started with the National Park Service as an intern, and now I am proudly a National Park Service employee, done in the uniform, which we call the green and gray. In fact, did you know that approximately 7,000 paid interns each year give about 2.8 million hours of service, to preserve our National Parks? And let's not forget the passion of volunteers who also get countless hours as well. From telling stories about our Here in American history to care in for priceless artifacts, conducting scientific research, maintaining historic structures and visitor centers, keeping our budgets and accounts in good shape, and fighting wildland fires. You can do just about any job in the National Park Service. And there are many pathways to get your foot in the door.

The opportunities are endless. Follow us on social media @NPSU to check out the truly remarkable and inspiring work being done by interns, fellows, volunteers, and military veterans across the country. And it's for how you can get involved by visiting nps. Gov/youthprogram. A shout out to everyone whose expertise and dedication helped National Parks. What's your next destination? I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a new year.

Thanks, Lucy.

Now, I am pleased to introduce one more special guest before we move on to the main show. Please give a warm welcome to National Park Service Director, Chuck Sam's.

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Hello, my friends and relatives and loved ones. We are sitting on the ancestral homelands of the Ancosten and the Santa Way people. I'm so excited to be with you all on this eventful night as we celebrate the holiday season. We are here at the White House in President's Park, one of our country's more than 430 national parks. Thank you for joining this beautiful celebration, surrounded by family, friends, loved ones, and our community. We are gathered together in this amazing setting, warmly buckled up, singing carols, watching fantastic performers and celebrating the lights of this year's Magnificent National Christmas tree, a gift from the Forest Service.

You now are all an important part of this time honored tradition that goes back more than 100 years.

Many of my National Park Service colleagues, including employees, interns, and volunteers, have worked countless hours to deliver tonight's special event. Thank you for your time, energy, and dedication. I see you and I appreciate you. This ceremony is presented by the National Park Service, along with our official nonprofit partner, the National Park Foundation. A huge thank you also goes to outgoing Foundation President and CEO, Will Shafroth and his team at the National Park Foundation. They have been tremendous supporters. I also want to thank and congratulate the incoming Foundation President CEO, Jeff Reibold. We have prepared an exciting show for everyone to enjoy. No matter where you're from, music connects all of us. So let's kick off the holiday ceremony with some lively performances. Thank you to Max Impact, the official rock and pop music ensemble of the United States Air Force, and his talented musicians for getting us started. We are grateful to you and all of the members of the military, past and present, who have served our country. I.