Proclamations Proc. 7355 will sound the alarm signaling the start of "The Great Escape" fire drill to test the effectiveness of families' fire escape plans. I encourage all Ameri- cans to participate in this important and potentially lifesaving event. As we observe this week, let us also express our pride in and gratitude for the devoted service of our Nation's firefighters and emergency response personnel. They uphold our country's finest values--commitment and com- munity, teamwork and trust, courage and sacrifice. Day in and day out, these extraordinary men and women put their lives on the line to protect our families and our property from the devastating effects of fire, and many of them pay the ultimate price for their devotion. We will honor their memory on Sunday, October 8, 2000, at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 8 through October 14, 2000, as Fire Prevention Week. I encourage the people of the United States to take an active role in fire prevention not only during this week, but also throughout the year. I call upon every citizen to pay tribute to our firefighters and emergency response personnel who have lost their lives or been injured in the line of duty and to those brave men and women who carry on their noble tradition of service. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of Oc- tober, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7355 of October 6, 2000 National School Lunch Week, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation One of the best ways we can move forward as a society is to meet our obli- gations to our children. President Harry Truman recognized this profound responsibility when he signed the National School Lunch Act into law in 1946. The significance of this legislation went beyond the daily meal that children would receive; the National School Lunch Program firmly estab- lished the Federal Government's commitment to work in partnership with States, schools, and the agricultural community to administer a major pro- gram designed to improve children's diets and, in turn, their overall health and well-being. Today, more than 96,000 schools serve lunches to over 27 million children every day--more than half of them for free or at a reduced price, so that no schoolchild in America, regardless of family income, need go hungry at lunchtime. We have also built on the program's success by establishing a number of child nutrition initiatives administered by the Department of Ag- riculture-from the School Breakfast Program, which helps ensure eligible children are ready to learn; to the Summer Food Service Program, which 173
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