France/The RCN rallies for Pink October and renews its partnership with the association Les Roses du Gard
This October, Rugby Club Nîmois renews its commitment to the association Les Roses du Gard, dedicated to supporting people affected by cancer.
Rugby Club Nîmois (RCN) continues its commitment to society by joining forces for the second year running with the Gard-based association Les Roses du Gard as part of the Pink October breast cancer awareness campaign. This Saturday, October 12, when the club plays host to Rumilly (9th) for the 6th day of the Nationale 2 league, a number of actions will be organized, with all proceeds going to the association.
Rugby, a societal player
For Steeve Calligaro, president of the RCN, the club's social commitment is a matter of course. "Rugby is a team sport, rooted in sharing and solidarity. Supporting causes as important as Pink October is a responsibility we can't ignore. Many of us have been touched, directly or indirectly, by cancer. It's a cause that's close to our hearts, and we want to put our light and our notoriety at the service of this fight", he stressed on Monday October 7 at a press briefing held at the Kaufmann stadium.
Last year, the auction of one of our jerseys raised €1,350, thanks to the jersey of number 12, center Robin Demars. Once again this year, the club hopes to mobilize the public and raise awareness through this solidarity initiative. Les Roses du Gard will also have a prevention stand on site, informing and raising awareness among spectators throughout the match.
"Breast cancer kills 13,000 women a year".
With two treatment centers now open in La Rouvière (2022) and more recently in Générac, the Les Roses du Gard association and its tireless president Hélène Milan are renewing their partnership with the RCN for this latest Pink October campaign. Thanks to their efforts, Les Roses du Gard were able to raise €45,000 over the month of October, a vital amount for the association which operates on an annual budget of €90,000.
"Pink October is not simply a fight against breast cancer, but above all an information campaign. Even today, breast cancer kills 13,000 women a year", reminds Hélène Milan. The Maisons Rose et Olivier welcome patients during the day, offering them supportive care, individually or in groups, provided by 27 volunteer therapists.The association currently has 130 members, 14% of whom are men, a reminder that cancer also affects the male population.
A unique association in the Gard
Created in 2017, the Les Roses du Gard association was born from the personal experience of its president, Hélène Milan. After going through a long course of treatment for breast cancer, she realized that no local structure offered free support for sufferers. "During my treatment, I was looking for help, which I didn't find in the Gard. In the end, I had to go to Montpellier to find a place where I could be supported free of charge", says Hélène Milan, and it was this absence that prompted her to found the department's first supportive care home in 2022.
Mobilizing solidarity
This renewed collaboration between the RCN and Les Roses du Gard underlines the capacity of sport to play a driving role in raising awareness of major public health causes. For Steeve Calligaro, this type of partnership is a way of putting rugby at the heart of people's concerns.
"It's essential for rugby to be present in all strata of society, and to take part in actions that respond to the needs and concerns of citizens. This kind of initiative shows that we are committed to our community, and that our club, beyond the pitch, is there to help."
Source: www.midilibre.fr/
