15th Guignolée du Dr Julien on December 16, 2017

Because thousands of children still need our help

MONTREAL, Dec. 8, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The 15th Guignolée du Dr Julien will take place on Saturday, December 16th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fondation du Dr Julien is calling on the public to give generously to this annual fundraising drive in support of its community social pediatrics centres (CPSCs)¹.

Video: Dr. Julien's message

The certified centres that are members of the community social pediatrics network² will also be having their own guignolées on the same day as well as those who are currently in the process of becoming certified. The money raised at these events will be used in the funding of professional services for close to 5,500 vulnerable children and their families throughout Quebec.

15 years of community support
Fifteen years ago, the very first Guignolée du Dr Julien was held at the corner of Aylwin and Adam streets in Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve. The public immediately showed its support for the dire needs of the social pediatrics centre opened in the neighbourhood by Dr Julien, and continues to do so today.

After 26 years of existence, the Fondation is preparing for its 15th Guignolée. Caring for, equipping, and supporting children who are experiencing developmental challenges related to prolonged stress requires sustained care and services. In 2016, 1,670 children were the subject of over 30,000 direct interventions in the three centres of expertise of the Fondation. The challenges are significant, and the needs are more pressing than ever. "We practice community-based medicine for the most vulnerable children in Quebec, one child at a time, and we have been doing so for the past 26 years. We work with local communities to build strong children who will become fully competent adults, while respecting their rights. Thousands of children are still suffering. Help us give them the best care possible. Give to the Guignolée du Dr Julien on December 16th," adds Dr. Gilles Julien, social pediatrician, founder and president of Fondation du Dr Julien.

View Dr. Julien's message (file also attached)

The financial contribution of the public and businesses was crucial in the early days of the Fondation, and still is today to fulfill its mission.

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^1							Location of certified CPSCs:
-							In the greater Montreal area: Centre-Sud, Côte-des-Neiges, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (2) and Saint-Laurent.
-							Elsewhere in Quebec: Cowansville, Drummondville, Gatineau, Haute-Gaspésie (Cap-Chat), Hull, Lanaudière (Chertsey), Laval (Place Saint-Martin and École St-Paul, Chomedey), Lévis, Québec, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Thetford Mines and Trois-Rivières.
^2							Location of CPSCs in the process of becoming certified are: Argenteuil, Lanaudière (Joliette), Laval (St-Paul), Magog, Pierrefonds East, Saint-Laurent (Chameran), Verdun (Montreal) and Whapmagoostui-Kujjuuaraapik.

In 2015, the government of Quebec announced its support of the Fondation du Dr Julien in developing the network of certified community social pediatrics centres. It has committed to investing 22 million dollars over 5 years. However, to reach the objective of the Fondation and the community social pediatrics network – which is to ensure that an even greater number of vulnerable children have access to the services to which they are entitled – this government support will have to be matched by financial support from the community.

Local giving creates local change
The money raised by each centre will be used to finance services in the community it serves. These services include medical, legal, psychosocial, psycho-educational and educational interventions; innovative therapies like art therapy, occupational therapy and music therapy; and a range of specialized services in speech therapy, psychology, child psychiatry and neuropsychology. A variety of sporting and cultural activities (e.g. summer camps, music courses, theatre and other shows) are also offered to children, all with a therapeutic intention and after the establishment of an action plan in the clinic. These services are offered in proximity to the child's environment and in accordance with his or her needs and fundamental rights. The emphasis is on providing intensive accompaniment throughout the child's entire life trajectory.

Several ways to contribute to the Guignolée du Dr Julien

• Online – By visiting guignoleedrjulien.org/en
  
  
• By telephone – By calling 1-855-DrJulien (1-855-375-8543).
  
  
• By mobile – By texting DRJULIEN at 20222 on your mobile device. You can give $5, $10, $20 or $25.
  
  
• On Facebook – By using the Guignolée du Dr Julien's personal Avatar generator on our Facebook page. With every Avatar created, Jean Coutu will donate $10, and double the amount when the avatar is shared, up to $40,000. Facebook.com/FondationDrJulien
  
  
• In person
  In Montreal – By giving to volunteers who will be collecting on the streets of Montreal, at public markets (Jean-Talon, Atwater and Maisonneuve), and at the Salon des métiers d'arts at Place Bonaventure on December 16th.
  
  The Fondation du Dr Julien and the network of CPSCs will also be accepting donations of new items that they can give as Christmas gifts to their children – books, toys, educational games, art supplies, sports equipment, clothing, tickets to shows or sporting events, gift certificates and musical instruments.
  
  Elsewhere in Quebec – To find out where to drop off donations at CPSCs in other areas of Quebec, consult the map: guignoleedrjulien.org/en

• By mail – By sending a cheque to the Fondation du Dr Julien at: 1601 Aylwin St., Montreal, QC, H1W 3B9 or to your local CPSC.

December 16th: a party for the whole family!
It's a full day of celebrating at community social pediatrics centres across Quebec and it's all about families!

The Fondation du Dr Julien is having a full day of activities at the centre in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (1600 Aylwin St.) in the company of the Guignolée's ambassadors, Ève Christian and Christian Bégin. From 7 to 11 a.m., the radio show Samedi et rien d'autre will broadcast live on ICI Radio-Canada Première with host Joël Le Bigot for the 12th consecutive year. The centre will open its doors for guided visits and there will be lots of fun activities for everyone: percussionists, live performances from various artists including Florence K, Stéphane Carreau and D-Track, face painting for the kids and, let's not forget, a visit from Santa Claus himself.

The annual street hockey match will get started at 1 p.m., with commentary by Jean-Charles Lajoie live at 91.9 Sport. Various celebrities and members of the Impact soccer team will play with the kids, and the radio station's Fanmobile will also be onsite for a live broadcasting of the event.

Actors from the television series Olivier will be on site in the afternoon, including Anthony Bergeron, France Castel, Thomas Derasp, Mathéo Piccinin and Catherine Proulx-Lemay, as well as producers Josélito Michaud and André Dupuy.

Finally, Montreal's public markets will get into the holiday spirit with choirs throughout the day.

For the complete schedule of activities, go to guignoleedrjulien.org/en/schedule/.

About the Fondation du Dr Julien
The Fondation du Dr Julien's mission is to ensure that every vulnerable child has access to the medical care and specialized services of community social pediatrics so that they can develop to their full potential and with greater well-being, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Fondation trains, accompanies and also certifies a network of community social pediatrics centres (CSPCs) throughout Quebec. Today, 25 CSPCs care for and provide life tools to almost 5,500 children and their families.

SOURCE Fondation du Dr Julien

Requests for interviews and photos: Liette Guertin, Director, Communications and Partner Relations, Fondation du Dr Julien, 514-527-3777, extension 253, Cell: 514-707-2090, [email protected]