THE CHILDREN OF THE PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN FOUNDATION: THE STARS OF THE LAST HOME GAME BEFORE CHRISTMAS

In what has been something of a tradition for five years now, Paris Saint-Germain dedicates its final match of the year at the Parc des Princes to children. It is a tradition that has been made possible by initiatives run by the Paris Saint-Germain Foundation and the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund.

The match in question is against Amiens SC at 9pm on Saturday 21 December, when the Paris Saint-Germain Foundation will team up with partner organisations Secours Populaire, SOS Villages d’Enfants, Emmaüs Solidarité and the National Office for War Veterans and Victims (ONACVG) to lay on some unique experiences for a group of 240 children at the famous stadium. This year, and for the very first time, Paris Saint-Germain and Paris Saint-Germain Foundation chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has extended a special invitation to the children to watch the match from Le Carré, home to the most exclusive seats in the stadium, and to meet their heroes.

“Through its Foundation, Paris Saint-Germain works all year long to bring moments of joy to children,” said Sabrina Delannoy, deputy director of the Paris Saint-Germain Foundation. “More than 3,000 of them come each season to cheer on the club’s teams and over 16,000 take part in the initiatives we run. With the festive season fast approaching, we are very proud to once again offer them a very special occasion to enjoy. Helping one another, solidarity and generosity of spirit will always be core values at Paris Saint-Germain and they are part of the club’s lifeblood.”

Operation Carré is on

Supported all year round by the charity organisations Le Secours Populaire, SOS Villages d’Enfants and Pupilles de la Nation, some 240 youngsters will watch Paris Saint-Germain take on Amiens SC from Le Carré, the Parc des Princes’ exclusive VIP area, which will be decked out especially for the occasion with a Christmas tree. A buffet and entertainment – including a magician – will also be laid on for the children.

To make their evening even more unforgettable, the children will be invited to walk through the players’ tunnel and watch the squad go through their pre-match warm-up routines from pitchside. The youngsters will then go on a lap of honour around the pitch. At the end of the game, club chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and several players from the team will join the children for a chat and to hand out presents, as is the custom at this festive gathering.

An unforgettable evening

Paris Saint-Germain has set up a number of other initiatives to make this evening at the Parc des Princes an unforgettable one for its young guests:

• Some 11 children under the care of the charity Emmaüs Solidarité will have the honour of being player mascots for the match and will walk out on to the pitch with the starting XI.
• Two children receiving support from SOS Villages d’Enfants and Pupilles de la Nation will also step on to the pitch at the Parc des Princes and take the honorary kick-off before the game.
• Two young guests will have the task of carrying the centre-circle flag before the match.
• One lucky youngster will be the Junior Club’s ‘little reporter’ for the game. As part of their duties they will interview Sabrina Delannoy one hour before kick-off. Aside from being the deputy director of the club’s foundation, Sabrina is also a former captain of its women’s team.
• All the young guests will be given Paris Saint-Germain kit.
• Paris Saint-Germain fans occupying the Virage Auteuil will unfurl a banner in honour of the 240 children.

A year-round commitment to improving children’s everyday lives

The initiatives put in place by Paris Saint-Germain this coming Saturday represent the high point of all the activities the club has engaged in throughout the year through its foundation and endowment fund. Both entities promote the social inclusion of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and give comfort to sick children. Over the last 19 years, Paris Saint-Germain – Les Enfants d’Abord has provided support for nearly 250,000 people in need. Having set up a number of educational programmes that use sport and its values of self-fulfilment and solidarity as levers for learning, Paris Saint-Germain is also committed to giving refugees a better welcome.