Proclamation 6772

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

Every day, thousands of people in need look to the American Red Cross as a banner of hope. For disaster victims here and abroad, for service men and women seeking assistance, and for everyone depending on a safe and ready supply of blood-the Red Cross stands prepared to respond. But the scope of its service extends well beyond the provision of emergency care. Its broader mission is clear: to promote compassion, to foster a spirit of generosity, and to improve the human condition everywhere.

Since Clara Barton-"The Angel of the Battlefield"-founded the American Association of the Red Cross in 1881, its members have been called upon to serve in war and in peace. Today, with more than 1 million dedicated and experienced volunteers, the American Red Cross plays a vital role in bringing physical and emotional comfort to those who need it most. Whether they are responding to an emergency or addressing the daily necessities of the homeless and elderly, Red Cross workers have always been models of community spirit.

Dangers to the health and safety of our people have changed radically during the past hundred years, and the Red Cross has adapted to meet these needs. Its commitment to caring for others enables us to restore hope in the lives of injured citizens, and its example challenges us to revitalize the covenant of American citizenship. The long-term strength of our Nation depends upon our willingness to live out the ideals long embodied by the American Red Cross. To celebrate our past and to safeguard our future, I am proud to commend the countless individuals whose courage and selflessness have sustained this organization for more than a century.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, 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 laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 1995 as "American Red Cross Month." I urge all Americans to show support for the more than 2,000 Red Cross chapters nationwide, and I challenge each of you to become active participants in advancing the noble mission of the Red Cross.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and nineteenth.

William Jefferson Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:17 a.m., February 28, 1995]