Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3632

 123STA T . 3 6 12 PROCL A M AT I O N8 3 4 6 —FEB .2 7, 2 0 0 9theNA A CP—w h ic h thi sy e ar wi l l wit n ess 10 0 years of ser v ice to the Nation on F e b r u ary 1 2.B ecause of their wor k, inclu d in g the contribu - tions of those lu m inaries on the front lines and great advocates behind the scenes, we as a Nation were able to take the dramatic ste p swe have in recent history. N OW , THER EFORE, I , BARAC K OBA M A, President of the U nited S tates of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Feb- ruary 200 9 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs that raise awareness and appreciation of African Amer- ican history. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of February, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third. BARACK OBAMA Proclam a ti o n8346 o fFeb r u ar y27, 2 0 0 9AmericanR e dC r os s M on th,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation Si x ty-two years after its founding, the Red Cross was instrumental in what President Franklin D . Roosevelt called the ‘ ‘greatest single cru- sade of mercy in all of history. ’ ’ In19 43, at the height of World War II, President Roosevelt called on the American people to support the troops by supporting the Red Cross, which provided food, blood, and supplies to American troops, allies, and civilians across the world. President Roosevelt asked Americans to donate funds to the Red Cross, setting a goal of $ 12 5 million for 6 weeks of fundraising. The American people responded with characteristic generosity, opening their hearts and wallets. The Red Cross met this goal in less than 6 weeks. During that season of generosity and unity, President Roosevelt proclaimed March 1943 as the first Red Cross Month. The Red Cross has continued to serve those suffering from large- and small-scale disasters. The organi z ation is best known for its work help- ing communities deal with ma j or disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. These large-scale disasters represent a major part of the work of the American Red Cross. J ust as important are the tens of thou- sands of small-scale disasters that occur every day in communities na- tionwide, and the volunteers who respond to them. These efforts in- clude supporting our military and their families, collecting and distrib- uting blood, helping the needy, delivering health and safety education, and providing aid abroad. In every response, volunteers are the key to Red Cross efforts. V olun- teers represent 96 percent of the Red Cross workforce. Without their giving spirit, disaster relief operations would fall short, blood dona-