Once again, the most recent event organized by Isabelle Boyer (NAPA AUTOPRO) demonstrated the power of solidarity and the importance of community involvement. Thanks to the mobilization of participants and partners, an impressive sum of $27,000 was donated to the Fondation des Gouverneurs de l’Espoir.
Members and events generate funds
This foundation, which is entirely funded by its members and events, helps families with a child suffering from a serious illness. The support it provides is primarily financial, but it is also deeply human. When a diagnosis turns a child’s life upside down, one parent often has to stop working to accompany their child to the hospital. The Foundation ensures that families are not left alone when faced with such a reality by helping them to make up for loss of income, but also by supporting siblings, providing school supplies, supplying gifts during the holidays or even offering support when a death occurs.
Isabelle’s commitment
For Isabelle Boyer, a committed governor, the cause is personal. Having personally gone through the ordeal of illness with her son Étienne Le Guerrier, she is profoundly familiar with the distress that families experience and the importance of such support. Her energy and determination are now reflected in events that are rallying more and more donors and governors. This year alone, the event has recruited 14 new governors, each directly contributing to changing a family’s life.
A particularly striking moment was the auction of a special jersey, designed for a unique project: to visit every NHL team in memory of Étienne. Many people own this shirt and wear it at commemorative events. The next destination of this long project will be Chicago in October. During the evening, one of these jerseys, signed by all Colorado Avalanche players thanks to the initiative of defenceman Samuel Girard, was framed and auctioned. It was purchased by Danny Thibert, owner of Garage Danny Thibert, who, in turn, became a governor.
The evening was also marked by the presence of Steve Bégin, former Montreal Canadiens player and governor himself, who came to support the cause and meet the participants.
Teams make the difference
With 47 teams registered for the tournament and dozens of volunteers on hand, the event proved to be both a human and a financial success. Beyond the numbers, its main goal was to reinforce the message conveyed by the Foundation: no family should pay the price for a misdiagnosis.
By pooling their efforts, people like Isabelle Boyer, the governors and an entire community are demonstrating that together, it is possible to turn pain into hope and give families a lifeline in their most difficult moments.
Text by : Pierre Thériault et Isabelle Boyer
Pictures by : Isabelle Boyer
