[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[December 8, 2001]
[Pages 1495-1497]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks in New Windsor, Maryland, on America's Fund for Afghan Children
December 8, 2001
The President. Well, thank you all very much. Good morning.
Audience members. Good morning.
The President. First, Harold, thanks a lot
for the introduction, and thanks for your leadership for the Red Cross.
It's a joy to know that we're part of a country that houses such a great
institution as the Red Cross, that intends to help people. And I want to
thank you, and I want to thank all the Red Cross volunteers who are here
to make sure that this warehouse functions well and that the mission of
helping Afghan children is fulfilled.
Laura and I are thrilled to be here. First, I want you to tell your
neighbors that we
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really appreciated the good folks of New Windsor lining the road to
wave. It made us feel great this morning, coming in from the middle
school where we landed, by the way. I don't know how many times a
helicopter has landed on the soccer field of the middle school--
[laughter]--but it did this morning. And a lot of your townsfolks were
out there to greet us. And for that we are really, really grateful, so
please tell them thanks on our behalf.
And I'm so proud of the job Laura is doing on
behalf of the country. She is such a steady, calm influence, and she
knows the important priorities of life. And it starts with moms and dads
loving their children with all your heart and all your soul. And so,
welcome, Laura, and thank you for coming with me today to New Windsor.
David, I want to thank you, as well,
for your leadership of the Red Cross. And I particularly want to thank
Kristen Thompson. She did a fantastic job,
I thought, introducing--[applause]. You must have a pretty darn good
school system here. [Laughter] She sounds incredibly well educated, and
she was able to handle the pressure in such an articulate way. So,
Kristen, thank you, and thank all the boys and girls who are here from
this town. Those who have helped raise money for the Afghan children, I
want to thank you. I know a lot of the Boys and Girls Clubs around
America and particularly here have helped, and I want to--thanks. I want
to thank all the Scouts who are here for working to--[applause]. And I
want to thank all the students who are here, as well.
I also want to thank your U.S. Congressman, Roscoe
Bartlett, and his wife, Ellen, for being here. I don't know where the Congressman is--
I saw him earlier today--but I want to thank you for coming,
Congressman. I know you care a lot about this part of the world, and I
appreciate you being here this morning.
I also want to thank Federal Express. It's a fine United States
company, and they are going to fly the first flight of supplies
overseas. And I want to thank Federal Express for understanding that
part of being a good corporate citizen in America is to assume
responsibility to help others. And Federal Express has done this, and I
appreciate your service, and I appreciate your example. Thank you very
much.
And finally, I want to thank the Church of the Brethren. I want to
thank you all. I want to thank you for your compassion and love, and I
want to thank you for loaning your warehouse for this most noble
project. It is so kind of you to figure out a way to help. And so on
behalf of all Americans, particularly the children who have contributed
to the fund, thanks a lot for your contribution, as well.
You know, coming here this morning makes me so proud of America and
of our young people. We have given the Afghan children something to
smile about, because America's children are generous and kind and
compassionate. There have been bake sales, and there have been lemonade
stands, and there are empty piggy banks, and there have been all kinds
of drives to raise money for the Afghan children.
We've raised over $1.5 million thus far to help the children of
Afghanistan. That's a lot of effort by a lot of youngsters. Everywhere I
go, people are--yesterday, on the U.S.S. Enterprise, where I went to
thank our soldiers and sailors for defending freedom, one of the sailors
handed me a dollar from his daughter and said, ``Would you make sure
that gets into the Fund for Afghan Children?'' It's happening all across
the country, and I want to thank everybody for their hard work, for
raising the donations.
The spirit driving the donations was summed up in a letter that one
child wrote. It went this way, it said: ``Dear Afghanistan children, God
bless. People want to give you a better life. All children should have
love and respect. I hope this helps you somehow.''
Tomorrow the first flight will leave, bound for Afghanistan to
deliver packages.
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These packages will brighten the lives of Afghan children not only
during Ramadan but throughout the winter. It is a reminder that we are
at war with the Taliban regime, not with the good, innocent people of
Afghanistan.
We've been made painfully aware of the plight of the Afghan
children. One in three Afghan children is an orphan. Almost half of
Afghan children suffer from malnutrition. One in four Afghan children
won't live beyond their fifth birthday.
This first shipment represents the good will of the American
children. It also represents our hope and desires that the plight of the
Afghan children improves, that life can be better for all children in
the world. It contains some interesting surprises and vital supplies.
Tomorrow we ship 1,500 winter tents to provide shelter for Afghan
children and their families; 1,685 winter jackets to help keep children
warm; 10,000 gift parcels, including hats and socks and school supplies,
toothbrushes and hairbrushes, candy and toys, that we hope and know will
bring joy to children who have suffered such incredible hardship.
Each gift parcel is marked this way: ``A Gift to Afghan Children
From American Children.'' It's spoken in several--it's written in
several local languages. But one thing is, when spirit is a part of each
package, and it says love knows no bounds or boundaries.
Americans of all ages care deeply about our fellow citizens, because
we're a truly compassionate nation. We're a nation of heart, a nation of
decency, and a nation that loves freedom. Removing the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan is one way to help the children and women of Afghanistan.
It's one way to make sure the children and women of Afghanistan are able
to have a more decent and hopeful life. And the Afghan Children's Fund
is another way to help.
And so today I come to this warehouse full of love and decency and,
on behalf of America, say thank you from the bottom of our heart.
May God bless all the children in the world, and may God continue to
bless America. Thank you.
Note: The President spoke at 8:50 a.m. at the Brethren Service Center.
In his remarks, he referred to Harold Decker, interim chief executive
officer, American Red Cross; David J. Bronczek, president and chief
executive officer, FedEx Express; and Kristen Thompson, a seventh grader
at New Windsor Middle School.