of America

A Proclamation

The National School Lunch Program -- now in its 36th year -- operates to provide nutritious and well-balanced meals for needy young people of our country. School lunch is an outstanding example of a close partnership of the Federal government with State governments and local communities to provide food, funds, and technical assistance for our efforts to provide nutrition assistance to these students.

The children and youth of our Nation are our greatest resource. The School Lunch Program demonstrates our awareness, our concern, and our willingness to work together to promote the health and well-being of our needy youth.

There are over 23 million lunches served every day in over 90,000 schools throughout the country. In an era of limited public resources, this effort is being met by resourceful and creative efforts at all levels of government and through the cooperation of parents, teachers, and civic groups.

By joint resolution approved on October 9, 1962, the Congress designated the week beginning on the second Sunday of October in each year as National School Lunch Week and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for observance of that week.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby urge the people of the United States to observe the week of October 10, 1982, as National School Lunch Week and to give special and deserved recognition to those people at the State and local level who, through their innovative efforts, have made it possible to have a successful school lunch program.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of Sept. in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventh.

Ronald Reagan

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:30 a.m., September 24, 1982]