Site Visit to Casa Ronald McDonald House of Barcelona, Spain

Bon dia, good morning, and thank you all so very much for coming.

I am so pleased to be with you at this wonderful new facility here in Barcelona. Thank you all so very much for your kindness, your compassion, and your dedication to children. I am here to attend the International Conference on HIV/AIDS. This terrible disease affects so many people throughout the world, even here in Spain. Tragically, AIDS does not spare children. Nor does cancer. So I'm deeply grateful for places like the Ronald McDonald House to care for those children and give comfort to their families. McDonald's is an American institution. The "Golden Arches" are as familiar in my country as baseball and the Statue of Liberty. But at the Ronald McDonald House, the Golden Arches stand for more than a Happy Meal or a chocolate shake. They are the gateway to hope and healing for sick and disabled children.

President Bush and I, and our entire country, are committed to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and to fighting cancer, especially in children. We must continue to do research. We must continue our quest for vaccines and new drugs. And we must always give care and treatment to those who need it most. Your being here today underscores your dedication to this same task, and to providing quality care to all children who need it. Barcelona benefits directly from your wonderful work, but you are part of a larger chain of compassion and commitment that binds us across the oceans as partners in the effort to defeat disease and offer new life. That's a noble enterprise, one I am so very proud to share with you.

Thank you so very much for all the good you do. Vayan con Dios.

Last revised: September 26, 2007