European Youth Games in Review – 2 Games Media Coverage is Outstanding The 2006 Special Olympics European Youth Games had outstanding media coverage. In Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport, the widest read newspaper with 1 million readers a day, ran front-page reports on the Games. Other top Italian dailies, such as Corriere della Sera and la Repubblica covered the Games, while the popular Corriere dello Sport had a six-page spread dedicated to the Games in its weekly magazine. Local and metro newspapers also ran articles. On television, RAI Sat, with a reach not only in Italy but across Europe, covered Opening and Closing Ceremonies live. Throughout the week, there were reports on RAI, Sky and Mediaset (three channels). Across Europe, “Playgrounds,” the award-winning advertisement created pro bono by JWT Milan, was shown on MTV and Eurosport while Special Olympics used online promotion for the first time on the broadcasters’ Web sites. Dominic Fawcett of Mindshare UK was instrumental in acquiring the pro bono airtime and Web space. Crowds Go Wild for AC Milan's Kaka Kakà, AC Milan midfielder and member of the Brazilian national team, and Special Olympics Italy footballer Matteo Ambrosini. (Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Italy) The second day of the European Youth Games will by remembered for the visit of Kaka, the AC Milan and Brazilian national team member, who is also the face of the Special Olympics fundraising campaign, “Adopt a Champion,” in Italy. Everybody, from athletes to staff to volunteers, gave him an exuberant welcome. Kaka was generous with his time, visiting venues, signing autographs, posing for cameras and kicking a football around with athletes. Kaka also visited the Special Olympics swimming team from Brazil whom he had invited to participate in the Youth Games. Brazilian athletes were waiting for him at the pool where the sounds of Brazilian music competed with the excited cheers of athletes and spectators.   NBA legend at Closing Ceremonies NBA legend Bill Russell lowers the Special Olympics flag at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2006 European Youth Games. (Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz) On 6 October, National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Bill Russell lowered the Special Olympics flag, bringing a close to the Special Olympics European Youth Games. Russell, who played for the Boston Celtics, was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star. From the late 1950s through the '60s, the Celtics, led by Russell, won 11 NBA championships in his 13 seasons with the team. Russell appeared at Closing Ceremonies along with Kiki Vandeweghe, General Manager of the Denver Nuggets; Vinny Del Negro, Phoenix Suns guard; and Mark West, former Phoenix Suns center, were part of a closing, televised live on RAI Sat, that kept its promise to be one giant, noisy, colorful and memorable party for the young athletes.