CLOSING CEREMONY SPEECH SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOUNDER EUNICE KENNEDY SHIRVER Saturday, March 5, 2005 Nagano, Japan Athletes, you have won the hearts of Japan and the world. You are all champions. As we celebrate your victory, we focus our gratitude on the great and generous volunteers and people of Japan. To the organizers, the sponsors, the volunteers of the 2005 Special Olympics World Games in Nagano, WE THANK YOU. To the host towns in Nagano, who opened their homes with great hospitality, WE THANK YOU. Surely, you have hosted the greatest Special Olympics World Winter Games in history. Even as we celebrate, let us prepare ourselves for the challenge of tomorrow. Sadly, the world around us remains a place of fear and division. The terror of violence is everywhere and the tragedy of poverty is out of control. But tonight, I say to all those who are afraid or forgotten - COME TO JAPAN! To all those who seek peace and understanding - COME TO JAPAN! To all those who seek courage and strength - COME TO JAPAN! The great and noble athletes of Special Olympics are often rejected and told “NO." But, they are here in this arena, and in every village and town in Japan, and around the world. They are the true messengers of YES WE CAN!! So, as we leave here, let us pledge to be messengers of YES WE CAN!! If we are asked to start a new Special Olympics program in our country - let us say YES WE CAN !! If we are asked to open our schools and our doctors' offices and our business to people with intellectual disabilities -- let us say YES WE CAN !! If we are asked if we believe in peace, if we believe that fear can be overcome, that war can be ended - let us say YES WE CAN ! Athletes of Special Olympics - great and courageous and joyful athletes of Special Olympics - Champions, Victors, and Messengers of YES -- I thank you. All of Japan thanks you. The world thanks you. You are hope for building a world where welcome is the common language. May each of us be inspired and abide by the courage that you have given us tonight. In the spirit of Special Olympics, let us remember the words written long ago: Faith, hope and love abide. But the greatest of these is LOVE.