13th Guignolée du Dr Julien on December 12, 2015 - Help us care for and support even more children in need

MONTREAL, Dec. 4, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The 13^th Guignolée du Dr Julien will take place on Saturday December 12^th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fondation du Dr Julien is calling on the public to give generously to this annual drive in support of the Fondation's network of certified community social pediatrics centres (CPSCs)[1].

CPSCs in the process of becoming certified[2] will also be having their own guignolées on this day. The money raised at these guignolées is used to fund professional services for some 4,000 vulnerable children and their families throughout Quebec.

13 years of popular support

Quebecers have supported the Guignolée du Dr Julien since its very first edition 13 years ago.

But as Dr. Gilles Julien, founder and president of Fondation du Dr Julien, notes: "Thousands of Quebec children are still not receiving the care and support they need to grow up healthy and reach their full potential. My greatest wish, and that of all community social pediatrics teams, is that none of these children fall through the cracks. We have therefore set the ambitious goal of making our services available to 20,000 vulnerable children through some forty centres within the next 5 years. More than ever, we need the public's support to meet this enormous challenge. On behalf of the children of Quebec, please help us make this dream come true, please contribute to the Guignolée du Dr Julien."

This year, the government of Quebec announced it will support the Fondation du Dr Julien in developing its network of certified community social pediatrics centres. It has committed to investing 22 million dollars over 5 years and may even increase this contribution to up to 60 million. However, to reach the objective of the Fondation and its network – ensuring five times as many vulnerable children (20,000) 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, 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.

7 ways to contribute to the Guignolée du Dr Julien

• Online – By visiting www.guignoleedrjulien.org.
• On Facebook – By spinning the Guignolée's Wheel of Fortune on the Facebook page of the Fondation du Dr Julien. At every spin of the wheel, Groupe Jean Coutu will donate, in the name of the player, the amount indicated where the wheel stops up to a maximum of $50,000. The fun starts December 4^th. Facebook.com/FondationDrJulien
• By mobile – By texting drjulien au 20 222 on your mobile device. You can give $5, $10, $20 or $25, and TELUS will double the amount given up to a maximum of $10,000.
• By telephone – By calling 1-855-DrJulien (1-855-375-8543). TELUS is setting up the phone lines and its employees are volunteering their time to receive donations.
• 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 12^th.
  The Fondation du Dr Julien and the 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 for the guignolées of CPSCs in other areas of Quebec, consult the map: www.guignoleedrjulien.org/oudonner.
• By taxi – By calling Taxi Diamond at [phone] on December 12^th. A taxi driver will come to your home to pick up your donation (cheque or new items) anywhere in the territory of Montreal.
• By mail – By sending a cheque to the Fondation du Dr Julien at: 1601, rue Aylwin, Montréal, QC, H1W 3B9. Or to the centre in your community.

December 12^th: a party for the whole family!

It's a full day of celebrating at CPSCs across Quebec and it's all about families!

The Fondation du Dr Julien is having a full day of activities at the CPSC in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (1600, rue Aylwin) in the company of the Guignolée's spokespersons, 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 10^th consecutive year. The CPSC will open its doors for guided visits and there will be host of fun activities for everyone: Samajam percussionists, clowns from Fondation Jovia, lots of live music, 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. The radio station's Fanmobile will also be onsite to rev up the crowd.

Finally, Montreal's public markets (Jean-Talon, Atwater and Maisonneuve) will get into the holiday spirit with live musical performances all day long.

For the complete schedule of events, go to www.guignoleedrjulien.org/programmation.

About the Fondation du Dr Julien

Fondation du Dr Julien is a social enterprise whose mission is to help all children from vulnerable environments reach their full potential in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Foundation oversees a network of 11 certified community social pediatrics centres (CPSCs) and is also accompanying eight other CPSCs in the process of becoming certified. Together, these centres currently care for, support and provide life tools to 4,000 vulnerable children and their families throughout Quebec. They offer a range of medical, specialized, psychosocial and legal services, using an approach centred on overall health and well-being, proximity to services, and complementary collaboration with partners in the community. www.fondationdrjulien.org

____________________________
¹ Location of certified CPSCs:
- In Montreal: Centre-Sud, Côte-des-Neiges, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (2) and Saint-Laurent
- Elsewhere in Quebec: Cowansville, Gatineau, Laval, Lévis, Québec and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

² Location of CPSCs in the process of becoming certified: Drummondville, Haute-Gaspésie (Cap-Chat), Lanaudière (Chertsey), Saint-Hyacinthe, Trois-Rivières, Verdun (Montréal), Vieux-Hull and Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik

SOURCE Fondation du Dr Julien

For further information: Requests for interviews and photos: Émilie Russo, Communications and Public Relations Director, Fondation du Dr Julien, [phone], extension 253, Cell: [phone], [email protected]