Known for its involvement in the community, EBC is proud to have raised $25,000 for the Samuel-De Champlain elementary school as part of the 2017 Boucle du Grand défi Pierre Lavoie. On November 13, the school inaugurated its new facilities. The grateful children heartily thanked their patrons.
The funds served to improve the kindergarten schoolyard, purchase plenty of equipment like basketballs and baskets, soccer nets and playmats. They also replaced broken and obsolete material. This delighted students from other grades and the community at large who use the site outside school hours.
“What EBC learned from this wonderful adventure is that we may go faster alone, but we go further together!” said François Groleau, Executive Vice President, Civil and Mining, at EBC.
The project was made possible by contributions from over 80 sponsors and donors solicited by EBC’s cyclists who generously endorsed the cause themselves. EBC added to the contribution and helped them achieve their goal of $25,000.
Thirty-six EBC employees wanted to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of children while completing a daunting 135-km sporting challenge. Ten members of the school, including Samuel-De Champlain Elementary School principal Christine Nadeau, joined them, pedaling under the EBC colours and sharing in the determination and goal of promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
Ms. Nadeau presided over the inauguration which took place in the presence of Councilor Claudio Benedetti, Chair of the Martin Forcier Governing Board, Deputy Director General of the Marie-Victorin School Board Marc-André Petit, Grand défi Pierre Lavoie representative Valérie Ouellette, EBC representatives including François Groleau, Jean-Philippe Veilleux and Sandy Simard, as well as many students, parents and staff from the elementary school.
Unable to attend, Pierre Lavoie videocast a warm message to the students, cyclists and EBC.
The Boucle du Grand défi Pierre Lavoie set out on July 2, 2017, on a route through the Montérégie along 135-km of roads closed to traffic. With every edition of the Boucle, cyclists can increase the breadth of Quebec’s health movement by getting involved and sponsoring one or more elementary schools. Donations they collect enable schools to invest in projects promoting healthy lifestyles.
For more information on the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie, please visit:
https://www.legdpl.com/en/
Photo: Christine Nadeau (centre), Samuel-De Champlain Elementary School principal, is with EBC’s Sandy Simard and François Groleau, and children from the Brossard educational institution.