OTTAWA, Nov. 6, 2014 /CNW/ - The mood was festive last night at the Bell Media Hall, downtown Ottawa as well-known faces from the worlds of culture, the arts and sports mingled with the valiant skiers, walkers, and runners who will take part in the 14th edition of Tremblant's 24h. The reception was held to mark the official start of the fundraising race for this important philanthropic event and was a prime opportunity for participating teams to find further motivation to surpass their objectives.
From December 5 to 7, thousands of participants will hit the slopes of Tremblant and run or walk the surrounding trails to raise funds for sick or underprivileged children. So far, more than 205 teams have signed up, including almost 40 teams taking part in the 24-hour Walk & Run portion of the event.
Last year, Tremblant's 24h raised more than $2.1 million. Organisers are hoping to beat that and set a new record this year. "We are confident that this event will continue its fantastic growth," said Patrice Malo, president of the Tremblant 24h Foundation. "The participants are taking this challenge very seriously. To see them already hot on the fundraising trail leads us to believe we'll accomplish the donation goal of this 14th edition of Tremblant's 24h."
Teams have until November 21 to register.
Joining forces for the kids
As it does each year, Tremblant's 24h has dedicated event ambassadors. This year again, Lianne Laing and Stuntman Stu, will join the skiers, walkers and runners in their efforts. Each participating team will also be symbolically paired with one of the 14 sponsored children, which puts a face to the cause and spurs participants to work even harder toward their fundraising goal. Note that four of them represent the region and a portion of the donations collected by the region's teams will benefit local initiatives supported by the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
In keeping with tradition, the event will once again lend a party atmosphere to the resort. The programme includes a revamped "party at the summit" on Friday night, orchestrated by the multi-percussionist Mélissa Lavergne. The Saturday night event at the foot of the slopes will be hosted by David Laflèche and feature Radio Radio, Jonas, Alex Nevski, Nadja, Jérôme Couture and André Papanicolaou. All of the artists, singers, and musicians will work hard to keep spirits high among participants and spectators alike.
Worthy beneficiaries, important partners
Organisations that will benefit from the funds raised by the event are: Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, Fondation Martin-Matte, the Tremblant Foundation and the Ottawa Senators Foundation. In fact, the Ottawa launch of the fundraising race is tonight;
Lastly, we should mention that the event was made possible by the invaluable participation of sponsors and major donors: Manuvie, TELUS, Kombi, Sunice, CRI Agence, CGI, Keurig, Coca Cola, Brookfield Renewable Energy Group and Mont-Tremblant Resort. Year after year, they've renewed their generous commitment to Tremblant's 24h events.
Manulife is proud to sponsor Tremblant's 24h of skiing for a 5th year and to support its volunteer community. Manulife believes that every volunteer, every volunteer act and every hour given back helps to build stronger, more resilient communities and a better future.
"Healthcare and community involvement are key priorities for TELUS. For the 10th year in a row, our partnership with the 24h of Tremblant promotes a cause that truly matters to us: help improve well-being and health of children" said Benoit Simard, Vice-President, Business Marketing at TELUS Quebec. "For a number of years, TELUS and the TELUS team members have put a priority on supporting the development of health care for children and have encouraged participants who share their passion and generosity."
"For the past nine years, Tremblant's 24h has been an wonderful opportunity for us to support the community and offer our employees a unique experience," said Richard Legault, president and CEO of Brookfield Renewable Energy Group. "More than 70% of them are involved every year, either as participants or volunteers. This year, we're especially proud to be an official sponsor of the event. Its support of charity organisations for children is in sync with our core values."
About Tremblant's 24h
Each year Tremblant's 24h event attracts more than 25,000 people, including close to 2,000 participants, sponsors, celebrities, musicians and journalists. The primary activity is a team skiing relay challenge for 24 consecutive hours on Tremblant's slopes. Teams of skiers, walkers, and runners compete to see who can cover the most kilometres over the 24-hour period, and also to raise the most funds for the recipient organisations which work for the benefit of children. Tremblant's 24h is the most anticipated social and sporting event in the area. More than $15 million has been raised since 2001 for sick or underprivileged children.
Join the conversation! Use the hashtag #24Tremblant!
CNW is a proud broadcasting sponsor of Tremblant's 24h.
Image with caption: "November 5th marked the launch of the 14th edition of Tremblant’s 24h. From December 5th to December 7, thousands of participants will race down the slopes of Tremblant, as well as walk and run at the bottom of the mountain, in order to raise money for sick and disadvantaged children. (CNW Group/24h de Tremblant)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141106_C7386_PHOTO_EN_7660.jpg
SOURCE: 24h de Tremblant
About Tremblant's 24h: Marie-Pier Kenney, Morin Relations Publiques, 514-286-8688, ext. 237, [email protected]; About Tremblant Resort: Annick Marseille, Station Mont Tremblant, [email protected], 514-266-5342
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