CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands have signed an online petition calling for a national holiday in honor of the Rev. Billy Graham, WSOC reports.
The Change.org petition, which was started six days ago by user Kyle Siler, had more than 60,736 signatures as of Monday morning and is addressed to President Donald Trump, as well as senators Thom Tillis, Richard Burr and Jerry Tillman.
The petition highlighted Graham’s impact on people all over the world:
“Lets get a National Holiday for Billy Graham!! Mr. Graham preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Mr. Graham’s counsel was sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Help us with our cause of setting a national holiday to remember this great man.”
Thousands were in Charlotte on Friday to say goodbye to Graham. The private funeral service was held in a tent outside the Billy Graham Library.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attended the funeral and were escorted by Graham’s grandson, a Major in the United States Army.
Graham, known to many as America’s pastor, passed away just before 8 a.m. on Feb. 21 from natural causes at his family home in Montreat just outside of Asheville.
Graham “spread the gospel in 185 countries during his 99 years on Earth, touching the lives of many and forever changing the course of the world’s spiritual health,” according to a statement by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
The minister was buried next to his wife, Ruth, on the property. His coffin, a plain, pine casket, was built by inmates at the Louisiana state prison.