Sick children in Quebec received a huge wave of love on Sunday. Presented in a hybrid format live from the Capitole de Québec, the 35e edition of the Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon raised an impressive sum of $20,682,867.
Photo courtesy, Eric Lajeunesse
Hosts Maxime Landry and Annie Brocoli presenting the final amount.
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“We never have a goal, except as much as possible,” says the organization’s new president and CEO, Jonathan Gendron.
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Jonathan Gendron
“Regardless of the amount raised, it is an achievement due to the current economic context,” he added.
The organizers therefore surpassed the donation peak of $20.5 million reached last year.
After two years affected by the pandemic, it was almost back to normal for the Telethon, launched at 12:30 p.m. on TVA by hosts Maxime Landry and Annie Brocoli.
The latter was at a 19e participation. The last spreadsheet was unveiled around 10 p.m.
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Maxime Landry and Annie Brocoli, hosts of the Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon, which was presented at the Capitole de Québec.
Like the animation, the performances were live.
The presence of Bruno Pelletier, Roch Voisine, Guylaine Tanguay and Jeanick Fournier, the last winner of Canada’s Got Talent who is familiar with the needs of sick children, has not gone unnoticed.
Patrick Bruel offered a remote service.
Moving testimonies
Once again, the presentation of the Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon was marked by many very moving testimonies.
A total of 17 capsules were shot in all regions of Quebec.
Among the messages of hope was that of Montreal’s sun child, Dayvon, who suffers from biliary atresia and has received two liver transplants.
“We spent all our years in the hospital from the age of 4 months to 5 years,” testified his mother, Murielle Macieux. “Since his second transplant, everything has changed. »
Golden Donors
To raise several million dollars, all of Quebec must pull together.
Several major partners are multiplying fundraising activities to culminate with almost unreal amounts.
But there are also the personal initiatives that are breathtaking. This is the case of Serge Lepage from Baie-Comeau, who for 24 years has been organizing fundraising dinners, and this year a sum of $30,500 was raised.
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There are also unusual activities such as “La saucette à Percé” which consists of swimming in the cold water of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the beginning of winter with the Rocher Percé as a backdrop.
Unusual perhaps, but a check for $101,000 was given to Opération Enfant Soleil. Remember that 87% of donations are given to the four major pediatric centers in Quebec and 13% to hospitals in the regions of Quebec.