CLINTON, Mass. - In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter visited Clinton, Mass. as part of a campaign to bring him closer to the American public. Now on his 100thbirthday, the owner of Sunrise Boutique said she remembers his visit well.

What You Need To Know

  • Former President Jimmy Carter turned 100-years-old on Oct. 1, 2024

  • He's the first president to make it to the century mark

  • Within Carter's first couple of months as president, he visited Clinton, MA

  • Store owner Cynthia Cannon attended Carter's speech at Clinton Town Hall in 1977

“I was lucky enough to get in," Cynthia Cannon said. "I was pulled; my name was pulled in the lottery.”

Cannon still has the statue she purchased ahead of going to Carter’s speech at town hall in 1977. She remembers everyone being excited to see the sitting president in-person.

“The whole town was geared up to welcome him," Cannon said. "And there were all kinds of parties. And there were there was a lot of activity downtown all the time, every hour on the hour, early morning to late evening, there'd be people just coming down to see what was going on.”

And while Carter celebrates accomplishments from his single term as president like establishing the Department of Education and adding about 8 million jobs to America’s workforce, fans of the 39th president like Cannon are celebrating him as he becomes the first former president to turn 100 years old.

“I have such a great admiration and respect for him, for everything he's done for this country. Obviously, the Habitat for Humanity has been huge in his life, his church, his family," Cannon said. "He's such a devoted and caring, passionate person that is willing to do whatever he can to help our country. So, I praise him, I love him, think he's fabulous and I wish him a very happy 100th birthday to a well-deserving president.”

Cannon said she plans to hold on to the statue of former President Carter for a while longer and one day she plans on possibly handing it over to the Clinton Historical Society.