[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 42 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Pages 2048-2049]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 6938--National School Lunch Week, 1996

October 11, 1996

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    This school year, schools across the country are serving more 
healthful and more appealing school meals, and school-children are 
learning to make food choices for a nutritious diet. The National School 
Lunch Program, which began in 1946, is celebrating its 50th anniversary 
year with historic changes that will reduce diet-related diseases and 
improve the health outlook for America's children.
    The 1996-97 school year is the first year that school meals must 
meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans under the new School Meals 
Initiative for Healthy Children. This initiative, created to help 
schools make necessary improvements, is providing nutrition education 
for children and training and technical assistance for school food-
service professionals. Early reports from pilot communities tell us that 
we are getting results. Food-service professionals are seeing children 
eat more fruits and vegetables. With the help of dedicated teachers, 
they are becoming better educated about what their bodies need.
    Improvements in school meals and nutrition education enhance the 
health of the 50 million children in the Nation's 94,000 schools--
strengthening the safety net for poor children who rely on school meals 
as their primary source of daily nutrition. Wholesome meals improve our 
children's ability to learn today and brighten their health outlook for 
tomorrow.
    These improvements are already a reality at the local level. Team 
Nutrition Schools--of which there are now more than 14,000--reach 8.1 
million children. These schools are community focal points for change, 
leading the way in bringing together teachers, parents, health 
professionals, local businesses, and industry leaders to promote 
nutrition education and to work for more healthful school meals. These 
schools benefit from the resources made available through an innovative 
network of public-private partnerships. More than 200 organizations are 
part of an extensive support network that dramatically increases the 
impact and reach of a relatively small Federal investment.
    Since President Truman signed the National School Lunch Act 50 years 
ago, the Federal Government and local school food-service professionals 
have worked in partnership to meet the nutritional needs of America's 
children. Now, together, they are ushering in an era of historic change 
and continuous improvement that promise a healthier future for all 
Americans.
    In recognition of the contributions of the National School Lunch 
Program to the nutritional well-being of children, the Congress, by 
joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law No. 87-780), has 
designated the week beginning the second Sunday in October of each year 
as ``National School Lunch Week'' and has requested the President to 
issue a proclamation in observance of that week.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning October 13, 
1996, as National School Lunch Week. I call upon all Americans to 
recognize those individuals whose efforts contribute to the success of 
the National School Lunch Program and to observe this week with 
appropriate ceremonies and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of 
October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of 
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-first.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:32 a.m., October 15, 
1996]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on October 12, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
October 16.

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