National School Lunch Week, 1996

Proclamation 6938 of October 11, 1996

National School Lunch Week, 1996

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

This school year, schools across the country are
serving more healthful and more appealing school meals,
and school-children are learning to make food choices
for a nutritious diet. The National School Lunch
Program, which began in 1946, is celebrating its 50th
anniversary year with historic changes that will reduce
diet-related diseases and improve the health outlook
for America's children.

The 1996-97 school year is the first year that school
meals must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
under the new School Meals Initiative for Healthy
Children. This initiative, created to help schools make
necessary improvements, is providing nutrition
education for children and training and technical
assistance for school food-service professionals. Early
reports from pilot communities tell us that we are
getting results. Food-service professionals are seeing
children eat more fruits and vegetables. With the help
of dedicated teachers, they are becoming better
educated about what their bodies need.

Improvements in school meals and nutrition education
enhance the health of the 50 million children in the
Nation's 94,000 schools--strengthening the safety net
for poor children who rely on school meals as their
primary source of daily nutrition. Wholesome meals
improve our children's ability to learn today and
brighten their health outlook for tomorrow.

These improvements are already a reality at the local
level. Team Nutrition Schools--of which there are now
more than 14,000--reach 8.1 million children. These
schools are community focal points for change, leading
the way in bringing together teachers, parents, health
professionals, local businesses, and industry leaders
to promote nutrition education and to work for more
healthful school meals. These schools benefit from the
resources made available through an innovative network
of public-private partnerships. More than 200
organizations are part of an extensive support network
that dramatically increases the impact and reach of a
relatively small Federal investment.

Since President Truman signed the National School Lunch
Act 50 years ago, the Federal Government and local
school food-service professionals have worked in
partnership to meet the nutritional needs of America's
children. Now, together, they are ushering in an era of
historic change and continuous improvement that promise
a healthier future for all Americans.

In recognition of the contributions of the National
School Lunch Program to the nutritional well-being of
children, the Congress, by joint resolution of October
9, 1962 (Public Law No. 87-780), has designated the
week beginning the second Sunday in October of each
year as ``National School Lunch Week'' and has
requested the President to issue a proclamation in
observance of that week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week
beginning October 13, 1996, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize those

individuals whose efforts contribute to the success of
the National School Lunch Program and to observe this
week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-first.