Patty Nieberg
First lady Jill Biden visits a classroom at Glendale Middle School on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (Carlos Barria/Pool via AP) May 06, 2021 - 2:43 PM
DENVER - First lady Jill Biden extended her gratitude to military spouses for their service on Thursday at an Army base in Colorado.
Biden spoke at Fort Carson military base near Colorado Springs at an event hosted by the United Service Organization Spouse Connection ahead of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on Friday. The group is a non-profit established by former President Theodore Roosevelt before WWII that provides domestic and overseas help to service members and their families.
Here are snapshots of first lady Jill Biden’s three hours in Salt Lake City on Wednesday:
1:39 p.m. Arrival
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) From left, Gov. Spencer Cox and Utah first lady Abby Cox welcome U.S. first lady Jill Biden at Salt Lake City International Airport, Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
As Biden reached the tarmac, she was greeted by Gov. Spencer Cox and first lady Abby Cox. They exchanged pleasantries before Abby Cox handed her a small paper bag containing a gift. White House staffers opened it near reporters, and it appeared to be a gold bracelet with small beehives on it. Beehives are Utah’s state emblem.
Jill Biden thanks fellow military families: First Lady pays tribute to spouses of service members after tour of the West meeting kids, nurses and teachers and she takes along a customized J purse featuring her two dogs
Jill Biden thanked military spouses for their service and outlined her priorities for her Joining Forces initiative during a visit to Fort Carson Giving you the support you need to thrive matters to me and to the president, she said
Her tribute to service members wrapped up a thank you tour that included stops with healthcare workers, students, teachers, and nurses
Earlier in Nevada, Jill Biden surprised the teacher of the year with flowers and a letter of thanks from the president live on CBS This Morning
| Updated: 1:46 a.m.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) First lady Jill Biden completes an assignment, writing a statement about herself, at Glendale Middle School in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
As Jill Biden emerged around the side of a Salt Lake County Health Department bus Wednesday, she was greeted by Comunidades Unidas members and volunteers holding a banner at Jordan Park.
“Bienvenida, Dr. Biden,” they yelled in unison.
The first lady then turned to 14-year-old Lesley Soledad, who shared with Biden how she got her name.
“When my parents came to the United States, they were confronted by the immigration patrol on the border of Arizona,” Lesley said. “They hid in bushes” near a house, and “a young girl came outside and offered my parents shelter and food.”
KSL TV
6PM: First Lady Jill Biden visits Utah
KSL TV
KSL TV
SALT LAKE CITY First lady Jill Biden seemed right at home Wednesday interacting with students and praising teachers at a middle school on the west side of Salt Lake City before heading to a pop-up COVID-19 clinic to encourage Utahns, especially the Hispanic community, to get vaccinated.
A longtime educator, Biden listened to students and teachers in classrooms at Glendale Middle School who have had a rough year trying to manage online and in-person learning because of the ongoing pandemic. What an amazing school this is and the students, the first lady said.