Clermont-l’Hérault won the Telethon bet

Les Képis Pescalunes et les Superherosgrandcoeur étaient du rendez-vous. Giacomo Italiano – Giacomo Italiano

Animations à gogo, directs séduisants sur France Télévision… Ce samedi, la mobilisation n’a pas faibli en cette deuxième journée de Téléthon, à Clermont, ville ambassadrice de la 37e édition.

"It’is a very beautiful event, united and popular, a shared pleasure. Experiencing this moment is extraordinary when you love people,” summarizes Folco Marchi. For 24 hours, the actor from Un si grand soleil continued live broadcasts, selfies with aficionados, interviews… giving selflessly for a good cause: the Telethon organized in Clermont-l’Hérault, ambassador city for the 37th edition.

The little hands of great solidarity

And if the TV man is used to the spotlight, hundreds of little hands, associative actors or completely anonymous, also played the game for the benefit of the AMF Téléthon. Like Baptiste Larue, a Clermontais friend of the Weightlifting Club, who this Saturday morning pulled a truck loaded with political heavyweights, or the PAF, to raise funds during the 11:50 a.m. live broadcast. " I, of course, responded. I wanted to make my contribution, it’s a great message, we must support associations and research against these rare diseases,” confides the strong man.

"I do not claim to be a disabled artist"

And the message came across perfectly during the live broadcasts provided by Lucie Chaumette and Raphäl Yem. Around 4 p.m., this Saturday, in his armchair, the young Montpellier rapper, SVG, took to the air to tell his story. "I got into music after the first confinement, I'm trying to make myself known. I have myopathy, a muscular disease, but I do not claim to be a disabled artist. I agreed to come, with pleasure, because I was told that it could inspire people."
Inspire fraternity, perhaps even more than solidarity. This is, in the end, perhaps the great lesson of the Telethon. The message got through.

When Clermont bursts the screen

Georges Elnecave, assistant for festivities in Clermont l’Hérault. You coordinated the activities for this edition. The pressure drops ?
Yes, before the first live broadcasts and the arrival of France Télévision there was already stress. Mobilizing, being sure that all the associations follow, that there are people, that was already a first challenge. Successful bet. Friday, before the first two live broadcasts, the tension was at its peak, there were still a lot of questions. But when we see the result we can only be satisfied because the bet has paid off. It's not a little early, this Saturday afternoon, to talk about success ?
No, it's a real success: last night, we had a lot of people for the first live broadcasts and there, we have already raised 25,000 €. We set the bar between 40 and 50,000 € but the day is not over and donations can still be made, after the Telethon. The image that Clermont gives, at the national level, is also a great television success.
Absolutely. I didn't watch the live broadcasts, I was on the ground, but the city is shining, for a good cause. I received a lot of messages from people who were in front of their television and Clermont conveys an image of dynamism and solidarity.

I subscribe to read more