Father's Day, 2011

Vol. 76

Wednesday,

No. 120

June 22, 2011

Part VI

The President

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Proclamation 8690--Father's Day, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8690 of June 17, 2011

Father's Day, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Parenthood is the ultimate gift and an incredible
responsibility. Every day, fathers across our country
give everything they have to build a better future for
their family, asking nothing in return but their
children's love and success. On Father's Day, we honor
the men in our lives who have helped shape us for the
good, and we recommit to supporting fatherhood in our
families, in our communities, and across our Nation.

Fathers, along with our mothers, are our first
teachers, coaches, and advisors. They help us grow into
adults, consoling us in times of need and celebrating
with us in times of triumph. Strong male role models
come in all forms, but they have one thing in common:
they show up and give it their best. A father figure
may be a biological father, or he may be a surrogate
father who raises, mentors, or cares for another's
child. Every family is different, but what matters is
the unconditional support, guidance, and love fathers
and mentors give us throughout life.

Today, too many children in our country grow up without
such support and guidance. A father's absence is felt
by children, families, and communities in countless
ways, leaving a hole that can have lasting effects.
Their absence is also felt by mothers, who work
overtime and double shifts, put food on the table, and
care for children alone while trying to make ends meet.
And it is felt in our communities, when boys grow up
without male leaders to inspire them.

My Administration has made supporting fathers and their
communities a priority. Last year on Father's Day, I
announced the President's Fatherhood and Mentoring
Initiative, a nationwide effort to support
organizations that foster responsible fatherhood and
help re-engage fathers in the lives of their children.
We have bolstered community and faith-based programs
that provide valuable support networks for fathers. We
are also promoting work-life balances that benefit
families, and partnering with businesses across America
to create opportunities for fathers and their children
to spend time together. And military leaders are
joining in our efforts to help families keep in touch
when a dad is deployed overseas, so the fathers who
serve to protect all our children can stay connected to
their own.

On Father's Day, we celebrate the men who make a
difference in the life of a child, and we pay tribute
to all the fathers who have been our guiding lights. In
the days ahead, we recommit ourselves to making
fatherhood, and the support men need to be fathers, a
priority in our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, in accordance with a joint
resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as
amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 19,
2011, as Father's Day. I direct the appropriate
officials of the Government to display the flag of the
United States on all Government buildings on this day,
and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.