[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 41 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Pages 2259-2260]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7825--Child Health Day, 2004

 October 4, 2004

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Parents play a vital role in keeping their children healthy, and 
when it comes to helping children make right choices, there is work for 
all Americans to do. Parents, teachers, faith-based and community 
groups, and government leaders are working together to counter the 
negative influences in today's culture, highlight the benefits of 
healthy lifestyles, and educate children about the consequences of their 
actions.
    By promoting good nutrition and regular physical activity, parents 
help their children perform better in the classroom and live healthy 
lives. To encourage healthy families,

[[Page 2260]]

my Administration is helping young people learn the simple steps to live 
better through the HealthierUS Initiative and the President's Challenge 
awards program. These programs encourage young people to eat a 
nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables and to set aside time 
every day for physical activity, such as playing sports, biking, or even 
helping with yard work at home. Encouraging healthy habits early in life 
helps give children a head start and gives them the best chance of 
reaching their potential.
    Our youth are challenged with tough choices. We must continue to 
promote responsibility among our Nation's young people by providing them 
with the knowledge they need to make the right decisions concerning drug 
and alcohol use. My Administration supports education programs that 
address these issues. Through the National Youth Anti-Drug Media 
Campaign and Drug-Free Communities Program, we are working to ensure 
that young people understand the serious risks and consequences of 
substance abuse. And in order to help kids who need help, my 
Administration supports random drug testing as a prevention tool. We 
have also increased support for abstinence-only education programs, 
including grants for community and faith-based organizations, because 
abstinence is the only sure way to prevent teenage pregnancy and 
sexually transmitted diseases.
    We all have an important role in giving America's children a healthy 
start in life by teaching them that the decisions they make today will 
affect them for the rest of their lives. By helping them make the right 
choices, we better prepare them for a hopeful future.
    The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 18, 1928, as 
amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has called for the designation of the first 
Monday in October as ``Child Health Day'' and has requested the 
President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 4, 2004, as Child Health 
Day. I call upon families, schools, child health professionals, faith-
based and community organizations, and governments to help all our 
children discover the rewards of good health and wellness.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of 
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
ninth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 6, 
2004]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
7.