[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 

PROCLAMATION 8936--FEB. 28, 2013

Proclamation 8936 of February 28, 2013

Read Across America Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Today, people of all ages will mark Read Across America Day by
celebrating stories that have shaped us. We take this opportunity to
reflect on the transformative power of the written word and lift up
literacy as a key to success in the 21st century.
We also take time to remember Theodor Seuss Geisel--better known as Dr.
Seuss--whose works of humor and heart remind us that it is never too
early to kindle a passion for reading. Books open the window to worlds
of imagination, and the lessons they teach form the bedrock for a
lifetime of learning. By encouraging reading at home and in school,
parents, caregivers, and educators help set our children on the path to
years of fulfillment and possibility. American progress depends on what
we do for our students, so all of us must strive to empower the next
generation with the tools they need to build a brighter future.
Great written works resonate with us. They challenge us. They reveal new
insights about ourselves and the world we share. Today, as we celebrate
the ways reading has enriched our lives, let us recommit to giving our
sons and daughters the fullest opportunity to find inspiration on the
printed page.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 1, 2013, as Read
Across America Day. I call upon children, families, educators,
librarians, public officials, and all the people of the United States to
observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day
of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA