GAC Pindar Children’s sailing programme looks to 2013 after successful year
France, 31 October 2012 – Dozens of critically ill children from the French charity Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris – Hôpitaux de France were given the fantastic opportunity to sail on GAC Pindar’s Ex40 boat during the penultimate event of the Extreme Sailing Series in Nice last week.
Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France is a charitable organisation which provides better living conditions in public hospitals, in particular for children and the elderly. The Foundation supports programmes for fighting pain, bringing families together and developing activities.
Ian Williams and his extreme sailing team put the new recruits through their paces as they enjoyed learning first-hand what it was like to sail on an Ex40 while others got to race through the waves on the GAC Pindar safety boat.
Danuta Pieter, Executive Director of Fondation Hopitaux de Paris – Hopitaux de France, comments: “Making such moments of joy possible for children in hospital is what we strive for at our foundation. Thanks to the generosity of GAC Pindar, the children enjoyed a unique sailing experience with great champions, as well as a bit of British humour!”
This is the third successful children’s sailing programme organised by GAC and GAC Pindar this year and their commitment to helping young people will be extended into 2013 with the sailing programme being proposed for all Extreme Sailing Series venues.
“I‘ve had the pleasure to work with the Extreme Sailing team of GAC Pindar on three different children’s sailing projects this year in Istanbul, Cardiff and now Nice,” says child supervisor, Davina Ashbolt-Smith. “Each project has enabled young people facing their own challenges to experience a fun and unique sailing activity.
“Seeing happy faces and hearing laughter from the boat is not purely down to the activity but also the hardworking team, who strive to deliver this amazing experience. Each young person is offered the opportunity to take an active part in sailing the boat, encouraging them to be a part of the team. I look forward to working with GAC Pindar next year, to make a difference to these young people’s lives.”
For more information on GAC Pindar or Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France, please visit:
www.gacpindar.com
www.facebook.com/teamgacpindar
www.twitter.com/gacpindar
www.fondationhopitaux.fr
