[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 10487-10488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5682]



[[Page 10485]]

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Part V





The President





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Proclamation 7069--American Red Cross Month, 1998



Proclamation 7070--Irish-American Heritage Month, 1998
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 1998 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 10487]]

                Proclamation 7069 of February 27, 1998

                
American Red Cross Month, 1998

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Americans share a long tradition of compassion for 
                others and lending aid to those in need. Since our 
                earliest days as a Nation, we have been able to bear 
                the heartbreak of family tragedy, personal hardship, or 
                natural disaster because of the help of caring friends 
                and neighbors. For 117 years, the American Red Cross 
                has been the staunchest of friends and neighbors to 
                millions of people both here at home and around the 
                world, adding its own vital contributions to our 
                history of service.

                The American Red Cross brings both comfort and 
                practical assistance to the victims of more than 65,000 
                disasters each year, from hurricanes and tornadoes 
                affecting thousands of people to a house fire involving 
                a single family. Members of the Red Cross also work on 
                the front lines of armed conflicts and disasters across 
                the globe to relieve suffering and restore human 
                dignity and self-sufficiency. At the same time, they 
                serve alongside our men and women in uniform wherever 
                they are deployed, relaying urgent family messages and 
                providing a precious link with home. And through its 
                Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information 
                Center, the Red Cross has helped thousands of families 
                in their search for information about the fate of loved 
                ones from whom they were separated during the 
                Holocaust.

                Few of us have remained untouched by the work of the 
                Red Cross. The Red Cross collects, tests, and 
                distributes six million units of donated blood each 
                year, nearly half the Nation's supply. More than 1,300 
                Red Cross chapters in communities across America teach 
                health and safety courses to 12 million people each 
                year, providing them with knowledge regarding CPR, 
                first aid, water safety, and HIV/AIDS that can--and 
                does--save lives.

                The Red Cross has become a simple yet powerful symbol 
                that transcends language and conveys a universally 
                understood message of hope. This symbol draws its 
                strength from the dedication of the more than 1.3 
                million volunteers who help disaster victims, assist at 
                blood drives, teach health classes, and respond to 
                urgent community needs. I commend the generous spirit 
                of all those who carry out the important work of the 
                American Red Cross, and I encourage all Americans to 
                support their efforts--whether by giving blood, 
                donating funds to help disaster victims, or becoming 
                Red Cross volunteers themselves. In doing so, we will 
                ensure that the American Red Cross will continue its 
                tradition of compassionate service in the 21st century 
                and beyond.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the 
                American Red Cross, by virtue of the authority vested 
                in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim March 1998 as American Red 
                Cross Month. I urge all the people of the United States 
                to support Red Cross chapters nationwide, and I 
                challenge each of you to become active participants in 
                advancing the noble mission of the Red Cross.

[[Page 10488]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-second.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 98-5682
Filed 3-2-98; 11:34 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P