(Source: laughingplace.com) 　　　　

HONG KONG, October 24 -- Cast Members from Hong Kong Disneyland (HDKL) joined hands to applaud the great achievement of the Hong Kong delegation to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. To show their appreciation for the athletes’ efforts and to celebrate their success, HKDL organized a special Disney-themed Victory Banquet for the delegation.

The Victory Banquet for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games was held in Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. Officiating guests included Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, and his wife, Selina Tsang, along with Secretary for Security, Ambrose Lee, President of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Timothy Fok; and Bill Ernest, Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland, who joined together to share the joy and happiness of the attending athletes.

David Ip, Chairman of Hong Kong Special Olympics, delivered the welcome speech and told the crowd that no matter the delegation size, number of participating sports, participating in unified competitions, actively participating in non-sports programs and the number of medals, Hong Kong Special Olympics has set the ever best records.

Mr. Ip added, "The excellent results we get really need to thanks to the support from the government and the public.”

Bill Ernest also spoke to the assembled dignitaries, athletes and their families. “Our young athletes have demonstrated admirable levels of resilience," Ernst said "perseverance and tenacity, which are also the spirits of the city of Hong Kong. These qualities are among the very reasons why we are proud to call Hong Kong our home. The athletes’ extraordinary endeavors will continue to inspire every one of us.”

“Our sponsorship of the HKSAR Special Olympics Team represents a continuation of our focus on supporting children and their families in Hong Kong. It also echoes the Disney tradition in supporting Special Olympics in the US,” Bill continued.

Donald Tsang and his wife, Selina Tsang, hosted the cake cutting ceremony to mark this exciting occasion. The guests had the opportunity to take photographs with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who were appropriately dressed in casual sportswear for the evening!

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games was kicked-off in Shanghai on October 2. The Hong Kong delegation, comprising of 154 team members, of which 106 were intellectually disabled athletes, competed in 10 different sports disciplines, including athletics, badminton, basketball, bocce, bowling, football, golf, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis. The team competed alongside more than 7,000 athletes from over 150 countries around the world. They came home with 154 medals, including an impressive 67 gold, 50 silver and 37 bronze medals.