Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/966

 108 STAT. 5534 PROCLAMATION 6649—FEB. 3, 1994 However, these advances have not yet eradicated the devastating consequences of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States today. American men and women still suffer about 1.25 million heart attacks each year. About 50 million Americans still have high blood pressure—and uncontrolled high blood pressure is a major cause of stroke. Virtually every American has grieved for a relative or friend debilitated or killed by a cardiovascular disease or stroke. In recognition of the need for all of us to become involved in the ongoing fight against cardiovascular diseases, the Congress, by Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963 {11 Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 169b), has requested that the President issue an annual proclamation designating February as "American Heart Month." NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of February 1994 as American Heart Month. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in reaffirming our commitment to combating cardiovascular diseases and stroke. DSf WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6649 of February 3, 1994 National Women and Girls in Sports Day, 1994 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The inspiring story of Wilma Rudolph is among our most outstanding examples of the courage of women in sports. Wilma Rudolph literally sprinted onto the world stage during the 1960 Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field competition. What had transpired in her life before her great victory in Rome was perhaps even more astounding. The twentieth of twenty-two children, Wilma was born near Clarksville, Tennessee, weighing only 4-V2 pounds. At the age of four, she was stricken with pneumonia, chicken pox, and polio, which left her crippled and with little hope of ever walking again. Through sheer determination and the love and support of family and coaches, Rudolph became an athlete of enormous talent and skill. However, hers was not only a personal victory. She was one of the first major role models for both Black and female athletes, and her unprecedented success caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events, like the Penn Relays. As we celebrate the ability and commitment of women and girls in sports, we recognize that the life of Wilma Rudolph carries an important lesson for all of us. This stunning athletic sprinter, who raced like

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