City of Québec, June 5, 2022—For the 35th year, Quebecers demonstrated the power of solidarity during the Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon, which was broadcast live on TVA from the Théâtre Capitole. Sick children and their families received a powerful wave of hope and comfort from the four corners of the province throughout the day, which culminated in a record sum of $20,682,867.

“Once again, thanks to the immense generosity of Quebecers and the mobilization of Opération Enfant Soleil’s great chain of solidarity, we are sending a strong signal to all children who are going through illness and to their families: we are there. All of Québec is on their side. Thanks to all our efforts, we will be able to continue to offer them the best possible care, to create living spaces in our hospitals that are adapted to their needs, and to equip regional hospitals so children can be cared for close to home. By facilitating their medical journey, we allow them to focus all their energy on one thing: their recovery,” says Jonathan Gendron, President and CEO of Opération Enfant Soleil.

Because small miracles don’t happen alone, let’s highlight the invaluable contribution of our 17 Enfants Soleil, who shared their inspiring stories with Quebecers, of our 14,000 Parents Soleil, who are present every month, of our 638 precious partners, who mobilize throughout Québec, of the 120 members of the production team, of the 53 artists and musicians, of our volunteers, of the Opération Enfant Soleil team, and, above all, of the thousands of donors, all over the province, who, once again, have answered the call. The success of this 35th Telethon would not have been the same without the extraordinary hosting of Annie Brocoli, Maxime Landry, Alain Dumas, Anick Dumontet, Louis-Georges Girard, Josée Lavigueur, Taïna Lavoie and Madame Labriski. We would also like to thank all our spokespersons and collaborators who have contributed to this 35th edition over the past few weeks, including Camille Dg, Eve-Marie Lortie, Arthur L’aventurier, Annie-Soleil Proteau and Félix-Antoine Tremblay.

“The generosity of all Opération Enfant Soleil donors makes a real difference in the lives of many families. The donations really go to the hospitals, to finance the purchase of equipment. And it builds lives, Olivia is proof of that. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!” (Jérémi Chartier, father of Olivia, 3 years old)

To respect the security and prevention measures put in place, this year we renewed a hybrid formula without an audience, with a live portion from the Théâtre Capitole in Québec, followed by pre-recorded segments. Thanks to the invaluable contribution of TELUS and Thrio, our 340 volunteers, while staying in the comfort of their homes, were active in our virtual call centre and were able to collect donations from thousands of generous donors.

The “C’est trop grand” contest, presented by Familiprix, was also launched during the 35th Opération Enfant Soleil Telethon. This simple concept raises community awareness about the importance of having equipment adapted to children’s needs and helps promote the cause of sick children. In addition to the first prize, Familiprix will donate $5 to the cause for each vote and share (up to a maximum of $5,000), and other prizes will be offered by TELUS and Randolph. For full details and to enter the contest, visit www.CestTropGrand.ca. Thanks to our main partners: Walmart, Costco, RE/MAX, Lowe’s Canada, Familiprix, Desjardins, Toujours Mikes, Aluminerie Alouette, Tuango, Flordeco, Groupe Banque TD, Couche-Tard, Opto-Réseau, TELUS, Chaussures POP, Club Piscine Super Fitness, Brick, TVA, Le Journal de Québec, Le Journal de Montréal et Rythme FM.