ROCKY MOUNT — Thanksgiving Day is, of course, the time we give thanks for our blessings. But down east, a lot of people have lost just about everything in Floyd's flooding and it can be difficult to be optimistic on this day of thanks.

Still, the spirit of the season is alive and well even there.

Lots of volunteers are on hand to provide Thanksgiving dinner for people hard-hit by by Hurricane Floyd. Earlier Thursday morning, Rev. Al Sharpton of New York addressed 300 people gathered at a local church -- and he wasn't the only big name in town.

At Ebeneezer Baptist Church, Sharpton took his time to boost the spirits of the people in this flood-ravaged region.

Midway through, he was joined by Rev. Martin Luther King III. King urged the congregation to stay the course.

Both of the speeches focussed on Princeville, Tarboro and Rocky Mount. But especially Princeville because it was settled by ex-slaves.

King and Sharpton plan to join flooding victims in Thanksgiving Day dinner in a temporary housing park built for families who lost their homes in the flooding.