American Red Cross Month, 2005
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Americans have a long history of rising to meet humanitarian challenges, and the American Red Cross is a leader in these efforts. Since 1881, the American Red Cross has met disaster with compassion and courage. During American Red Cross Month, we honor this dedication and reaffirm the importance of volunteering time and contributing resources to make our communities and the world better.

From offering blood drives and lifesaving courses to providing disaster relief services at home and abroad, American Red Cross employees and volunteers work countless hours to care for those in need and serve a cause greater than self. As a result of the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean, over 150,000 lives were lost and many more were left homeless and without food and water. The American Red Cross swiftly dispatched relief workers to assist those affected, and to distribute supplies, counsel survivors, and help people return home.

Here at home, the American Red Cross helps support our troops by transmitting emergency messages to members of the Armed Forces and their families. In this past year, the Red Cross has also contributed significantly to relief efforts for hurricanes in Florida, flooding in Western Pennsylvania, wildfires in the Western United States, and mudslides in California. These good works provide hope and healing to those dealing with profound loss and demonstrate the character of the American Red Cross.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 2005 as American Red Cross Month. I commend the efforts of American Red Cross employees and volunteers, and I encourage all Americans to donate their time, energy, and talents to support this organization's humanitarian mission.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentyninth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Every year the President of the United States proclaims March to be "Red Cross Month" giving the American Red Cross an opportunity to promote its services and celebrate its successes in serving communities across the U.S.

The March celebration began as a way for the public to learn more about the organization and support it through donations and volunteerism.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the first March is Red Cross Month proclamation in 1943.

For the first 25 years of its existence, the Red Cross held no regular fund-raising drives. Since Clara Barton created the organization in 1881, it was largely dependent for publicity and funds on the spontaneous support of people who learned of catastrophic events and the Red Cross response to them. News of an event broke, the American Red Cross rushed to the scene with help, and people around the country came forth with outpourings of volunteer assistance and donations of funds and supplies.

This rather haphazard manner of operating changed abruptly in 1917, when the United States entered World War I. After declaring war, President Wilson ordered the American Red Cross to raise funds to support its aid to the military and civilians affected by war, as Congress had mandated. In response, the Red Cross held its first national War Fund drive in June 1917 and set as its goal $100 million, an astoundingly large sum at the time. Under the circumstances, however, the public response was immediate and overwhelming. Within a few days, more than $115 million was raised. Then in December 1917, the Red Cross held its first "Christmas Roll Call." People were asked to give a minimum of $1 to join the organization's membership rolls. This drive also proved highly successful, as did an additional War Fund drive and another Roll Call in 1918, the last year of the war.

After the war, the Red Cross decided to make the Roll Call an annual membership and fund-raising drive. In addition, it conducted special appeals from time to time in response to major disasters, such as the Dust Bowl drought of the early 1930s and periodic flooding on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

In November 1941, with war in Europe, the Red Cross conducted a highly successful 25th Annual Roll Call. A few days later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. As it had done in the previous World War, the Red Cross responded immediately by declaring a War Fund campaign. By June 1942, it had raised more than $66 million.

Rather than go back to the public with a third appeal in one year, the Red Cross decided to cancel its 1942 Roll Call. Instead, after discussions with President Roosevelt, the honorary chairman of the Red Cross, the whole month of March 1943 was declared "Red Cross Month." The Red Cross set a goal of $125 million, the largest amount ever requested in one campaign by any American organization. Again, the response was overwhelming. It took less than six weeks to reach the target, and by June 1943 donations totaled nearly $146 million. Roosevelt called it, "the greatest single crusade of mercy in all of history."

This success caused the Red Cross to repeat the March drive during the remaining years of the war and then to make it the occasion of its annual membership and fund-raising efforts ever since. As part of the tradition, the president customarily issues a proclamation each year declaring March as Red Cross Month.