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.

2

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,

seventeenth day of June,

two thousand eleven, and

United States of America

I have hereunto set my hand this

in the year of our Lord

of the Independence of the

the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

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