[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 36855-36856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15780]



[[Page 36853]]

Vol. 76

Wednesday,

No. 120

June 22, 2011

Part VI





The President





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Proclamation 8690--Father's Day, 2011
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 22, 2011 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 36855]]

                Proclamation 8690 of June 17, 2011

                
Father's Day, 2011

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Parenthood is the ultimate gift and an incredible 
                responsibility. Every day, fathers across our country 
                give everything they have to build a better future for 
                their family, asking nothing in return but their 
                children's love and success. On Father's Day, we honor 
                the men in our lives who have helped shape us for the 
                good, and we recommit to supporting fatherhood in our 
                families, in our communities, and across our Nation.

                Fathers, along with our mothers, are our first 
                teachers, coaches, and advisors. They help us grow into 
                adults, consoling us in times of need and celebrating 
                with us in times of triumph. Strong male role models 
                come in all forms, but they have one thing in common: 
                they show up and give it their best. A father figure 
                may be a biological father, or he may be a surrogate 
                father who raises, mentors, or cares for another's 
                child. Every family is different, but what matters is 
                the unconditional support, guidance, and love fathers 
                and mentors give us throughout life.

                Today, too many children in our country grow up without 
                such support and guidance. A father's absence is felt 
                by children, families, and communities in countless 
                ways, leaving a hole that can have lasting effects. 
                Their absence is also felt by mothers, who work 
                overtime and double shifts, put food on the table, and 
                care for children alone while trying to make ends meet. 
                And it is felt in our communities, when boys grow up 
                without male leaders to inspire them.

                My Administration has made supporting fathers and their 
                communities a priority. Last year on Father's Day, I 
                announced the President's Fatherhood and Mentoring 
                Initiative, a nationwide effort to support 
                organizations that foster responsible fatherhood and 
                help re-engage fathers in the lives of their children. 
                We have bolstered community and faith-based programs 
                that provide valuable support networks for fathers. We 
                are also promoting work-life balances that benefit 
                families, and partnering with businesses across America 
                to create opportunities for fathers and their children 
                to spend time together. And military leaders are 
                joining in our efforts to help families keep in touch 
                when a dad is deployed overseas, so the fathers who 
                serve to protect all our children can stay connected to 
                their own.

                On Father's Day, we celebrate the men who make a 
                difference in the life of a child, and we pay tribute 
                to all the fathers who have been our guiding lights. In 
                the days ahead, we recommit ourselves to making 
                fatherhood, and the support men need to be fathers, a 
                priority in our Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, in accordance with a joint 
                resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as 
                amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 19, 
                2011, as Father's Day. I direct the appropriate 
                officials of the Government to display the flag of the 
                United States on all Government buildings on this day, 
                and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

[[Page 36856]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2011-15780
Filed 6-21-11; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P