Vinovalie supports Un maillot pour la vie

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Every year 1.4 million children are hospitalized in France with various illnesses and for other reasons. This wonderful world of sport, which is a haven of hope and challenge, where so many people find great satisfaction and happiness, teaches us to go beyond our fears and difficulties. 

The charity ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ has joyfully brought financial and moral support and an ideal to all children in France who have had to go to hospital, with the generous assistance and help of great sportsmen and sportswomen.

On September 3^rd 2015 the charity contacted its social network and launched the HakaChallenge which is an action that anyone and everyone, old and young alike, alone or in a group can perform and which will raise some supplementary funds to help with its many projects.

A story of men, a dream, an evidence
 

Founder of ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ Toulouse-born Sam Essediri, in need of funding, contacted the winegrowers of Vinovalie who are well-known for their philanthropic activities. To Sam’s surprise they decided to go further than just answer his simple request.

In the same spirit of the campaigns whereby 632 youths of less than 26 years old found jobs by attaching 1000 resumés to a million bottles of wine; several would-be entrepreneurs and artists found work; victims of the AZF explosion were helped with the assistance of artists who painted winestocks in colour, the 400 winegrowers of Vinovalie today decided to:
→ lend their support to help children,
→  use the Rugby World Cup to launch an internet appeal (obvious for the rugby afficionados in Toulouse!),
→  affirm their values exemplified by the saying “ the group is stronger than the strongest in the group” by contacting partners Fabien Pelous and Byron Kelleher.

The HakaChallenge was born of this co-operation and will take place from September to November 2015.

The Haka shout is simply a playful challenge
 

Everyone knows this is heard before each match played by the New Zealand All Blacks. It is usually touted as a attempt to impress opponents but in fact the main purpose of this ritual Maori dance and chant is to summon the powers of the universe and expresses welcome during social occasions.

It is a symbol of strength and courage that the charity would like to communicate to children during this latter part of 2015, now that the Rugby World Cup is soon to begin.

Web users are invited to or in fact actually challenged by donor Byron Kelleher to : 
→  Film themselves shouting the Haka, or, for the hardiest, doing the whole Haka ritual,
→ Download their films on the site #hakachallenge as well as on Twitter, YouTube, or their Facebook or Instagram pages,
→ Challenge and name their friends and relatives to do the same.

There is no excuse for those who do not know the Haka ... it is easy to learn by looking at Byron Kelleheron the first page of the website.

... for the direct benefit of the charity "1 maillot pour la vie"
 

With the aim of breaking the solitiude of children in hospital ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ organizes meetings between children and sports personalities,  cake and autograph sessions in hospitals, kick-offs on sportsgrounds and presence at famous sporting events like Roland Garros, the Olympic Games or the Tour de France. It also makes it possible for families to spend a week relaxing in its very own villa.

The following will enable ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ to extend its influence:

3 auctions of HakaChallenge rugby jerseys supplied by XV Blanco will be organized
→ at the West Indian Marriott hotel in London on September 21^st, the special evening in London dedicated to the Rugby World Cup.
→ at the Marriott Renaissance in Paris on October 14^th, the 15^th anniversary of the charity
→ at the Toulouse Town Hall on November 24^th

Part of the proceeds of sales of ‘La Soule’ bottles of wine will be donated to ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ (‘La Soule’ is a premium range sold at all wine shops, in GMS and in the Vinovalie wine outlets in Fronton, Gaillac and Cahors. It will be identifiable by a special HakaChallenge neck-band label).

Sums collected in this way will be added to the other revenu sources, specific acts of solidarity? , partner companies, as well as by the sale of jerseys and objects offered by sports personalities during the gala evenings.

20000 sick children visited, 5000 dreams come true, 8000 sports personalities involved ...

For 15 years now the charity ‘1 maillot pour la vie’ has been meeting challenges. Remember this latest one is dubbed the HakaChallenge where the charity requests all of its contacts to upload his or her Haka starting from September 3^rd 2015.

* Byron Kelleher famous All Black who played 57 times for New Zealand and currently living in Toulouse
**‘1 maillot pour la vie’ : Founder and President: Sam Essediri 9 branches throughout France Cheques to be made out to "1 maillot pour la vie’"25 rue Deville, 31000 Toulouse