Remarks Made by Eunice K. Shriver Upon Receiving the William E. Simon Award Thank you. In a special way, let me begin by thanking Bill Simon, who many years ago was among the leaders in the world to believe in the hope of the Special Olympics movement. More importantly, he was willing to support those beliefs with action. I will never forget Bill Simon's extraordinary generosity. The Special Olympics movement could not have become what it is today without him. So it is with great pride and at the same time, great humility that I accept this award today. Truthfully, I accept it not on my own behalf but on behalf of almost 200 million people around the world with intellectual disabilities. Too frequently, they are told “NO!”-- no, you cannot contribute; no, you do not have gifts; no, you cannot go to school; no, you cannot play with us. Together with many wonderful and spirited volunteers, I have worked to try to end this tragedy because it is an injustice for which there is no excuse. We can no longer accept the persistent and stubborn lie that people with intellectual disabilities do not count. We must change that “no” to an exuberant “yes.” Over many years, together with these same volunteers, and parents, I have worked to try to open the eyes of society to the joyful and glorious realization that every person, regardless of whatever different abilities they may have, can contribute, can be a source of joy, can beam with pride and love. It is my deepest hope that the world can begin to look at our friends with special needs and for once, tell them “yes, you do belong; yes, you are wonderful; yes, you can be a shining light of hope for the world.” So on this occasion, I thank the Simon family for its many years of support. But mostly I thank them for joining this noble mission, for believing that people with intellectual disabilities can make a difference, for celebrating the human spirit that knows no boundaries, and for doing all this with great love. Thank you.