    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9700 of February 28, 2018

    American Red Cross Month, 2018

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, the
    organization has provided domestic disaster relief, assisted in
    international disaster relief, and supported the United States military
    in countless ways. Today, it is a renowned, life-saving force, supported
    by hundreds of thousands of volunteers and responsible for ensuring our
    Na

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    tion's blood supply is always at safe and sufficient levels. The
    American Red Cross also provides training and preparedness programs for
    Americans in safety-related fields and helps to connect our Nation's
    military service members with their families. During American Red Cross
    Month, we honor the organization's humanitarian mission, as well as its
    hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers, and generous supporters, whose
    donations are vital to sustaining the organization's operations.
    The American Red Cross plays an indispensable role in our Nation's
    healthcare system, including as the single largest supplier of blood and
    blood products in the United States. These blood products are vital for
    accident and burn victims, patients with conditions that require
    repeated transfusions, and patients undergoing advanced treatments like
    heart surgery and cancer therapy. On average, the American Red Cross
    collects nearly 4.9 million units of blood each year from more than 2.8
    million donors. These donations help meet the needs of patients at
    approximately 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers across the
    country.
    In addition to its healthcare mission, last year, the American Red Cross
    assisted millions of people affected by disasters in the United States
    and around the world. During a 45-day span, the organization responded
    to six of our Nation's largest and most complex disasters of 2017,
    including back-to-back hurricanes, the deadliest wildfires in California
    history, and the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Globally, the
    American Red Cross provided aid to 26 countries in the aftermath of
    multiple natural disasters, including a drought and food crisis in
    Africa, the floods and migration crisis in Bangladesh, two earthquakes
    that shook Mexico just weeks apart, and floods and landslides in Nepal.
    The American Red Cross helped nearly 9,400 people search for loved ones
    separated from their families during these and other international
    calamities.
    Since its founding, the American Red Cross has also served as a vital
    conduit between our great men and women of the military and their
    families and support networks back home. To help caregivers meet the
    daily challenge of providing for our wounded, ill, and injured service
    members and veterans, the Military and Veteran Caregiver Network
    provides peer support through online resources and community-based
    groups. And last year alone, through its Hero Care Network, the American
    Red Cross relayed more than 304,000 urgent messages to more than 79,000
    service members and their families.
    The dedicated staff members and volunteers of the American Red Cross
    make tremendous, positive contributions to both our Nation and the
    world. Their tireless endeavors truly deserve our unwavering respect,
    support, and gratitude.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 the laws of the
    United States, do hereby proclaim March 2018 as American Red Cross
    Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate
    programs, ceremonies, and activities, and to support the work of the
    American Red Cross and their local chapters.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day
    of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen,

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    and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
    and forty-second.
    DONALD J. TRUMP