Last fall, the three co-chairs of the 80th annual Centraide Outaouais campaign, Gilles Desjardins and his sons Jessy and Kevin, accompanied members of the Centraide Outaouais team on a tour of organizations in the Outaouais region.
In their own way, co-chairs Jessy and Kevin Desjardins wanted to set the tone for this campaign and bring visibility to the fundraising effort.
“When we started planning visits to several organizations with Centraide, we realized that there were organizations everywhere in Outaouais and that the territory was vast,” explained Jessy Desjardins when discussing his motivations. “We quickly concluded that it would be possible to combine this with one of our passions: cycling.”
That’s how the idea of cycling 800 kilometers for the 80th Centraide Outaouais campaign was born. Thanks to this impressive feat, Jessy and Kevin Desjardins made history by covering 811 km by bike.
The route was aligned with the campaign launches organized in each sector, from Hull to the MRC Pontiac, passing through Maniwaki, Petite Nation, and Basse-Lièvre.
“Community organizations are part of a social fabric where everyone supports one another, working together to create a healthier, more self-sufficient, and sustainable community. Poverty and social exclusion are major issues,” said Kevin Desjardins.
Beyond the kilometers traveled, images and testimonials were collected, offering insight into the realities and daily lives of frontline organizations working in the field. A short film was made to capture this inspiring human journey. To watch it, visit: centraideoutaouais.com
You can also make an online donation: À go, on Centraide!
