Congratulations to every single one of you on what you have accomplished on your long journey.

To those of you who are spectators, our thanks to you as well, for being here with your signs, and balloons, and your applause to greet your friends. I know many of you donated hard-earned dollars to this effort and we consider you part of the family — not outsiders — every bit as important to this effort as the rest of us.

At the opening ceremony I said you didn’t need to hear a speech from me — that your presence was more beautiful than any speech, and spoke much louder than words. Your completion of this journey today speaks even more loudly than your presence did at its beginning.

The world’s not much going to remember what we say here. But it’s never going to forget what you did here. Does that mean it will be written in the history books? Well, maybe not, but it will be written in someone’s history book. Right now, somewhere, there is a woman who has breast cancer. And she doesn’t know it. She’s probably living on a pretty low income. And she has a young daughter. Because of what you did here she’s going to see an early detection notice somewhere. She’s going to be able to go to a clinic that gets funding from the crusade. And she’s going to find out early enough to survive. She’s going to get to watch her daughter grow up, and help her pick out a dress for the prom. She’s going to go to her graduation and to her wedding. She’s going to get to see her grandchildren. And her daughter will never have to face growing up without her.

They may not know that you had anything to do with it, but that doesn’t change the fact that you, quietly, without need for credit or glory, re-wrote their history book. That your willingness to take action in your life, changed theirs, forever, without so much as a word being spoken.

You have asked for no glory, but you deserve it. What you have done here is magnificent. You have given the full measure of yourselves. Everything you had, you offered, with nothing left over and nothing left out. All the currency of inspiration you could find in your thoughts to keep you from quitting you spent, with not a penny left in the register.

Tomorrow you go back to your jobs and your homes. And people may not tell you every day that you are incredible. In fact, you may not ever hear it. So I want to leave you with a reminder. You ARE magnificent. You ARE an inspiration. You ARE a force of nature. You are not insignificant. You are not a moth. You are an eagle. Remember this, in those wintry moments of February, when you feel far away from the glory of this day, that that glory comes not from this event, or from this stage. It comes from within you. It is who you are. It is always available to you. No one can ever take it away.

With a prayer for an end one day to breast cancer, and that it happen by our resolve and not by chance, we say goodbye and thank you to you. You are one of the best groups we have ever had the honor to work with.