[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
[July 26, 2007]
[Pages 1021-1023]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Special Olympics Global Law Enforcement Torch Run Ceremony
July 26, 2007

    Thank you all. Welcome to the Rose Garden. Thanks for that touching 
introduction, Laura. [Laughter] I am proud to 
salute an outstanding group of athletes, the men and women of Team USA. 
And I'm pleased to announce today that Secretary of Education Margaret 
Spellings, who is with us today, will 
lead the impressive delegation to the World Games in Shanghai.

[[Page 1022]]

Thank you, Madam Secretary. Appreciate your service.
    I'd also like to extend our greetings to the representatives from 
Team China. You're welcome here in the Rose Garden, and I appreciate you 
bringing this warm weather with you. I thank Secretary Mike 
Leavitt for joining us. Michael, it's 
good to see you. Thanks for being here. We are really proud that Eunice 
Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the 
Special Olympics, took time to be here in the Rose Garden. Welcome back 
to the White House. Great to see you. And I'm glad you brought your 
boy with you--[laughter]--the chairman of 
the Special Olympics, Tim Shriver. Thanks for being here, Tim. These are 
good people.
    I'm proud to be here, as well, with Liu Peng--
he's the Chinese Minister of Sports--and other members of the Chinese 
delegation. We welcome you here. Thank you for coming, Mr. Minister. And 
I appreciate very much your bringing President Hu's 
letter on the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. It's 
very kind for you to have brought his letter to me, and I'm glad to have 
received it.
    I want to thank Hans Hickler, the CEO of 
DHL, who has joined us. I thank Chief LaMunyon, who Laura just talked about. 
He's the founder of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, and he's here with 
his wife Sharron. Chief, appreciate you 
coming. Thanks for being a visionary. Glad you brought Sharron.
    I thank the Special Olympic athletes, the final leg runners, and the 
law enforcement officials that have joined us today. Proud of your 
service, and proud of your compassion.
    I remember when I was the Governor of the great State of Texas being 
a hugger. That was during the Special Olympic games. If you've never 
been a hugger, I strongly advise you to be one. [Laughter] That means 
you stand at the end of the finish line of a race and you hug the people 
coming across the line. It meant a lot to me to be a hugger. It 
introduced me to the Special Olympics, and I have been a big backer of 
the Special Olympics, primarily because then, and since then, I have 
been inspired by the determination and the courage of our athletes.
    And so we welcome you, and we welcome your families, and we welcome 
your coaches and your supporters. And to the family members and coaches 
and supporters, I thank you for helping our fellow citizens understand 
that the promise of this country belongs to every citizen. Over four 
decades, the Special Olympics has changed the lives of millions of 
people across the world. And we're proud to note that this noble mission 
began right here in America. And let me just say, I believe it is a 
fitting testimony to this country, that was based upon ideals of 
inclusion and acceptance and hope, that the games we honor today began 
right here in our country.
    And ours is a country that constantly needs to strive to realize 
that vision. Interestingly enough, it was 17 years ago today that the 
Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law at the White House. 
I know some folks here witnessed that signature. And I know a man who 
played a major role in getting that done, and that was the 41st 
President. You call him President; I call 
him dad. I am proud it was my dad that signed that law into being. I 
firmly believe millions of disabled Americans have found more 
opportunities to work and to contribute to our society because of that 
law.
    There's more work to be done, and that's why my administration is 
building on progress through what we have called the New Freedom 
Initiative. It's a good initiative, and it's an important initiative, 
and it's an initiative that will help all Americans realize the great 
blessings of this country.
    That's why the message of Special Olympics is important. That's why 
millions have joined this cause, Eunice. It started off as an idea, and now it's a worldwide 
movement. And that's why we look proudly upon

[[Page 1023]]

the ``Flame of Hope,'' which symbolizes the dreams of millions.
    One of the athletes who is going to carry the torch today is Karen 
Dickerson. Karen is a tireless advocate for 
her fellow athletes. She's what we'd call a fierce competitor. In the 
2003 World Games in Ireland, Karen was told that she had a stress 
fracture in her leg. Yet through sheer willpower, she won the bronze 
medal. She has since run two Marine Corps Marathons. In the Boston 
Marathon this April, she finished in the top 10 percent of all women.
    I want to thank you for being here. Karen should serve as an inspiration for a lot of folks in 
our country. You're a true champ, just like every other Special Olympian 
that has joined us today and the millions who will be in Shanghai later 
on. Your success is best measured not by the medals you win but the kind 
of courage you show. You follow your dreams, you never gave up, and 
you've shown us what the Olympic spirit is all about.
    And so we send you to the World Games with our love and our prayers. 
We ask that you carry the greetings of the American people with you when 
you go to Shanghai and our wish for a world--and that you remind the 
people that our wish for our world is a more welcoming, more hopeful, 
and more peaceful place.
    God bless you all, and good luck.

Note: The President spoke at 11:45 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Hu Jintao of China. The 
transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary included the 
remarks of the First Lady, who introduced the President.