On this autumn-like Wednesday, November 1, a press conference was held to unveil the details of the 2023 poinsettia campaign in support of the Fondation de la Maison de soins palliatifs de Vaudreuil-Soulanges (MSPVS). 

The event was held, as usual, at the Centre Jardin Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac located at 999, avenue Saint-Charles in Vaudreuil-Dorion. 

A flowery touch for a good cause 

Once again this year, the MSPVS is pleased to add a flowery touch to the holiday season with its annual poinsettia campaign. For this 13th edition, 2,650 plants will be available for individuals and businesses in the region.

The aim of the campaign is to make the region as red as possible, in order to raise awareness of the importance of supporting the quality end-of-life care offered free of charge to local families by the Maison de soins palliatifs de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

"People have until Friday November 24 to order them. We have to be quick, because we already have a hundred on order and four or five new orders since this morning. There's even an annual waiting list. The bouquets will be prepared and delivered here on Monday, November 27, thanks to the help of invaluable volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible," explains MSPVS General Manager Pascale Boily. 

Last year, the campaign raised $107,170 for the Maison. This year, during the 2023 campaign, the milestone of 1 million poinsettia plants will be passed, a great achievement for the organization. 

For the MSPVS, this campaign is one of the major fundraising activities that enable the organization to maintain its services." It's symbolic that it's a couple who are taking up the torch from Marie and Gilles, who are also a couple. To facilitate their arrival, we have decided to reduce the number of poinsettias available this year compared with last. I'm sure they'll rise to the challenge with flying colors," continued Ms. Boily. 

Although the campaign is only held at the end of the year, poinsettias are ordered in March of each year and planted in July or August of the same year. 

New pilots for the 2023 campaign 

François Gaumont and Brigitte Bernier will be leading the 2023 campaign. The pair can count on the support of three loyal partners over the years to bring this flagship MSPVS fundraising campaign to a successful conclusion: the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Caisse Desjardins de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Centre Jardin Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac. 

"Thanks to François and Brigitte for accepting the challenge and taking over from Marie and Gilles. In the region, there's a problem finding the next generation, and I'm happy to see that wasn't the case for this wonderful activity. I'm sure that things will go well, and I can assure you that the city will give you 100% support in this new task of yours", Mayor Guy Pilon of Vaudreuil-Dorion told the new volunteers. 

For their part, Patrick Van Den Abeele and Florence Daneau of Centre Jardin Vaudreuil-sur-le Lac were delighted to continue the adventure with Ms. Bernier and Mr. Gaumont. "We couldn't resist taking part. It's a pleasure to work with the next generation. It's a great activity and a great week of preparation. We really like the atmosphere here during the annual campaign. We've already got volunteers coming up to us to tell us they can't wait to take part in the campaign," says the duo. 

For his part, Sébastien Laliberté, General Manager at Desjardins Vaudreuil-Soulanges, reiterated the financial institution's support for the project despite the change of guard.  "We're happy to be able to support this wonderful initiative for the region". 

Poinsettias are sold for $30 (with a $15 tax receipt). They can be ordered now from the Maison's website: www.jedonneneligne.org/fmspvs/PST23 or by contacting the Maison de soins palliatifs directly at [email protected] or 450 202-2202. Purchasers will be able to pick up their poinsettias from the Garden Centre from November 27 until December 1.