This year for the first time since ELA Luxembourg was recognised as a public utility, “Mets Tes Baskets” made its debut in the school, with the help of the Parents’ Association.
Vauban, a French school in Luxembourg, under the guidance of sports teachers Jonathan Perfetto and Maxime Gaccio, and with the unfailing support of its Director Pierre Cochet, has mobilised all primary school pupils to support ELA in its fight against leukodystrophies. Thanks to the investment of the management and all the teachers and administrative staff, this first operation was a great success with the participation of all classes, representing some 600 children.

The operation was carried out in several phases:

• – Raising awareness – Firstly, Fränk Schleck and Jeff Strasser, two emblematic sponsors of ELA, accompanied by Mr. Johann Godin, Consul of France in Luxembourg, visited the classes of CM1 and CM2 to read a dictation on the theme of disability and difference. Each pupil was given a ’sponsorship booklet’ enabling them to collect donations from their relatives, rewarding their efforts on the event day where each one symbolically lends their legs to the children suffering from leukodystrophy.
• The day of action – Under the guidance of Jonathan and Maxime, sports teachers, all the classes of the school carried out playful and physical activities on the sports field specially set up for the occasion, with the participation of the teachers. The date chosen was Friday 17 May. At the end of the day, all the participants met on the field for a photo session under the emotional gaze of Jean-Paul Friedrich, President of ELA Luxembourg and father of Max. Fränk Muller, basketball player at the T71 in Dudelange and godfather of ELA was also present.
• – Results – On Saturday 29th June, during the annual school party, Pierre Cochet, Director of the school and unfailing supporter of the association, handed over a cheque corresponding to the amount of the pledges made, of more than €10,000.

This first operation in the school was very popular with teachers and students, and we are confident that Vauban will repeat the experience in 2020 and by involving the students of the Collège and Lycée as well.
In 2020, the association hopes to federate other schools around this action. After all, the more of us there will be, the greater the hope, and the quicker the solution.