[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
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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