July 19, 2012Dear Sir,On behalf of the International Island Games Association, we wish to express our gratitude to Bermuda and its citizens following the recent visit during which we, together with representatives from 23 member islands from all over the world spent five intense days on your colourful, inspiring and in every aspect beautiful island. Having visited in earlier years and become friendly with the Games Administrators and enthusiasts Jon Beard, Paul Scope, Juanita Blee, Andrew Soares and many, many more, we were not at all surprised to receive the warm welcome and the high standards we experienced. We must express our, and our fellow islanders, thanks for the way the Organising Committee of the NatWest Island Games 2013 made us all feel like we belonged in Bermuda.The reason that representatives from 22 of our member islands from all over the world travelled the thousands of miles to come to Bermuda was naturally the NatWest Island Games 2013 which will take place in Bermuda, the island of sport! Thousands of sportspeople will gather on Bermuda next summer to compete in 14 different sports during a week that will include everyone in Bermuda. It will be one of the largest multi-sport events in the world that year. The NatWest Island Games includes everyone. Like before when times were rough at sea the Bermuda organisers will need every hand on deck. We are now convinced they will succeed having met the first enthusiastic volunteers this week. The commitment they showed was world-class. The venues we visited were also excellent as were the different alternatives for the accommodation.The summer of 2013 will be like no other summer on Bermuda. It will be a festival of international sport that will create friendships that will last for a lifetime. Thanks to the NatWest Island Games Bermuda will be the centre for many of the islands in the world. It will take some hard work but the reward will last for a long time. By bringing islands together in sport you are showing the world that you want to make a difference and that you want islands and their sportspeople to grow. By developing sport and encourage international competition we are inspiring the youth of today to make a difference tomorrow.Our thanks go to Bermuda and the Bermudians for a generous, warm and inspiring welcome. You showed that you want to make a difference, that you don’t fear challenges and that you are ready to take on responsibility. You have opened your island to the rest of our members within the International Island Games Association and you will next year stand there as host for the 15th Games. You are not alone — the NatWest Island Games is a common interest between all our member islands. We are here to help you make the Games a great success. It takes a host to organise a party, but it is the friends of the host that makes it a success. You have proved by bringing islands together you are indeed ‘the island of sport’.INTERNATIONAL ISLAND GAMES– ASSOCIATIONJörgen PetterssonChairmanJames JohnstonVice Chairman