Proc. 7278 Title 3--The President ceiling; eradicate wage discrimination; and ensure that every American has the tools to meet both family and work responsibilities and to retire in se- curity. By breaking down the remaining barriers and opening wide the doors of opportunity, we can make the future brighter for women and for all Americans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM }. 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 March 2000 as Women's History Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, and to remember throughout the year the many contributions of courageous women who have made our Nation strong. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty- fourth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7278 of February 29, 2000 American Red Cross Month, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation After the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, President Theodore Roo- sevelt asked his fellow Americans to respond by contributing to the Amer- ican Red Cross, "the only organization chartered and authorized by Con- gress to act at times of great national calamity." Almost a century later, the American Red Cross continues to serve our Nation and the world, pro- viding compassionate assistance to people suffering in the aftermath of per- sonal, local, national, or international disasters. As one of our country's premier humanitarian organizations, the Red Cross provides disaster relief to millions of people both at home and abroad. In the past year alone, the American Red Cross rose to meet many chal- lenges-from Hurricane Floyd on the eastern seaboard to the Kosovo relief effort to the terrible earthquakes and floods that struck countries around the globe. Following the tragic shootings at Columbine High School and in other schools and places of work and worship, the American Red Cross sent in crisis counselors to support grieving families and friends of the vic- tims. In Taiwan and in Turkey, the American Red Cross worked with other Red Cross affiliates to provide solace and support to earthquake survivors; after the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990, Red Cross grief counselors brought comfort to victims' families. In total, the American Red Cross responded to nearly 64,000 disaster incidents last year alone and helped provide infor- mation to thousands of families separated from loved ones by war or dis- aster. The services that the American Red Cross provides go beyond disaster re- lief. Its biomedical services program provides patients in more than 3,000 4O
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