Names of the winners unveiled by the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation
MONTREAL, May 7, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Thanks to the commitment and generosity of the general public, the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation is pleased to announce that the Sing for Sainte-Justine with Céline Dion contest has been a resounding success. A total of 174 choirs from across Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick devoted their time, talent and hard work in an outpouring of love for children, raising the impressive sum of $827,065.
"In taking part in this massive fundraising initiative, the entire province joined in harmony with children across Quebec and made them the best promise of all: the promise of a better tomorrow. I'm very excited to meet the winning choirs, and I congratulate them for their incredible determination. The way I see it, everybody who embarked on this adventure and showed their unwavering commitment to the cause is a winner!" said Céline Dion, honorary lifetime patron of Sainte-Justine.
And the winners are…
The 25 choirs who received the most votes will each be awarded a $1,000 prize from evenko, and two of the contestants will have the honour of singing with Céline Dion. In the final tally, Chorale de l'Externat Mont-Jésus-Marie, from Montreal, an elementary school choir composed of 66 young singers, ranked in first place, with 18,027 ballots cast in their favour. Through this community effort, students, parents and staff paid tribute to Léa, a young Sainte-Justine patient whose mother works at the school and who is currently in remission from leukemia. The "judges' favourite," chosen from the 25 top-voted choirs, is Les Petits Chanteurs de Laval. Gregory Charles, Claude "Mégo" Lemay and Natalie Choquette unanimously selected this second winner based on the quality of their stage presence and vocal performance.
"We were pleasantly surprised by the number of contestants, the generosity and spirit of the 5,000 singers and their organizers and the musical and technical quality of the performances we saw. The participating choirs are clearly passionate about their music and about making a difference in the lives of sick children. The contest has therefore been a success in every regard," said head judge Gregory Charles.
A unique event, side by side with Céline Dion
In July, the two winning choirs will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to share the stage and sing a song with Céline Dion. The private function at Sainte-Justine will be a very special moment for the choir members and a touching testament to their commitment toward Saint‑Justine.
Big-hearted partners
The CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation would like to express its sincere thanks to all those who made this contest possible: partners Québecor, Cogeco, evenko and RBC Royal Bank, as well as Palm Havas, Cossette and Citoyen Optimum, who contributed to the development and implementation of this major initiative.
Developing better ways to heal more children in Quebec
The Sing for Sainte-Justine with Céline Dion contest is being held in conjunction with the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation's Healing More Better campaign. The funds raised will be used to support research and promote healthcare excellence at Sainte-Justine, Canada's largest mother-child university hospital centre. For more information, go to healingmorebetter.org
About the CHU Sainte‐Justine Foundation
Through community support, the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation strives to develop better ways to heal more children in Quebec. The Foundation is committed to building a healthier tomorrow by delivering a standard of care that is among the best in the world. For further details, visit fondation-sainte-justine.org/en/
Image with caption: "Sing for Sainte-Justine with Céline Dion. (CNW Group/Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140507_C1739_PHOTO_EN_2062.jpg
SOURCE: Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation
Please direct enquiries to: Vanessa Boucher, Citoyen Optimum, 514-282-4782 or [email protected]
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