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D-5 TO THE START, DAMIEN SEGUIN AND HIS PARTNERS - DES PIEDS ET DES MAINS _ LET'S HAND IT TO THEM!

15/10/09

On Sunday at the end of a superb parade down the estuary from Nantes, the 24 Class 40 monos entered in the Solidaire du Chocolat arrived in St Nazaire. Throughout their sail down the Loire estuary until their arrival in the harbour town at the end of the day, the 48 skippers soaked in the popular support for the race and the adventure the yachtsmen are about to take part in. A great experience and a great moment for Damien SEGUIN and Armel TRIPON on CARGILL-MTTM. Extra driving force just one week before the start... Clearly calm, cool and collected, the two friends have every intention of making the most of their last days ashore to share the values they are defending . On Wednesday, the race village will be opening its doors officially . The perfect occasion for Damien SEGUIN and his partners to highlight the aim of the association Des Pieds et Des Mains. A week of sharing before a month of solitude…
It is the same old story in the run up to each yacht race. Before sailing off into solitude (although this is rather a short-handed than a solo race), the participants are part of a madding crowd. That was the case last weekend in Nantes, and it is highly likely to be pretty much the same thing again tomorrow in Saint Nazaire with the opening of the race village there. In spite of the start looming up? Damien SEGUIN is very serene about the whole affair : « I think we were all very surprised by the size of the crowds in Nantes this weekend. What a pleasure and a great honour it is to realize the extent to which the public is drawn to the spirit of the event and the values it seeks to convey. It’s amazing to feel how much folks are behind us. Boosts the motivation and a perfect opportunity for us to promote the causes we are fighting for. » This should snowball in Saint Nazaire in the race village where the spotlight will be even more focused on the charities and associations.

« Des Pieds et Des Mains » in Saint Nazaire…
This be certainly be the case for « Des Pieds et Des Mains », the association set up by Damien SEGUIN who works on a daily basis to show how having a handicap is not necessarily an obstacle to accomplishing great projects, expressing your talent and realizing your dreams. The association has long been supported by CARGILL and MTTM, two companies from Saint Nazaire, who have made a particular effort for the occasion, pulling out all the stops this week and relying on the unfailing commitment of the skipper/ambassador and the mobilization of the partner companies’ employees. As Xavier LE MERRER, President of the association and CARGILL employee likes to remind one and all : « In Saint Nazaire, we are playing at home. You can count on us to mobilize the forces necessary from CARGILL and the MTTM group to support Damien, Armel and the association. La Solidaire du Chocolat is a yacht race but also a race village which conveys values and messages of solidarity to the heart of the event. You can count on us to make things move and to make sure that folks hear about us. Moving heaven and earth, using our hands and feet – and anything else that matter – to defend values we believe in is a credo for us! »

Feet, hands and chocolate….
A genuine programme of activities has been put together by the association and its partners on the race village in Saint Nazaire. At the heart of the events, they will be inviting the public to support their efforts by taking part in a workshop where prints will be taken. The invitation also extends to attending chocolate making sessions by the CARGILL professionals and to discover the giant work which master chocolate maker Philippe LELEU is putting on show on the association’s stand. A prize draw is being held to win the piece and all profits from the draw will go directly to « Des Pieds et Des Mains ». Solidarity and sharing is what it’s all about. Chocolate tasting sessions are on the programme and there is to be a great distribution of miniature chocolates. As Hervé de Praigny sums up : « Chocolate is part of our business. Here and now, chocolate and solidarity have paired up under the banner of this yacht race to which we are committed. It is also a symbol of sharing and conviviality. For CARGILL, everything has been brought together to increase our motivation and make our commitment even more coherent. » Join them at the Solidaire du Chocolat race village with Damien SEGUIN, Armel TRIPON and their partners. Come and clap your hands and stamp your feet in support of « Des Pieds et Des Mains » !

Programme of « Des Pieds et Des Mains » every day from 14th to 18th October :

• Hand and foot print workshop
• Chocolate making and tasting session
• Tombola to win a magnificent work made of chocolate
• Various sales for the benefit of the « Des Pieds et des Mains » association
• Signing sessions with Damien Seguin
• Presentation of a donation from the Best Triathlon St Nazaire on Saturday 16th October at 17h30.

QUOTE / UNQUOTE :

Damien SEGUIN, skipper of the Class 40 « CARGILL-MTTM » :
« As soon as the Solidaire du Chocolat concept had been explained to me, I signed on the dotted line! Battling for a cause is something I have always done ! It is not something I am doing for tear-jerking purposes! When I take up position on the starting line on 18th October, I will not be there as a handicapped person, but as a yachtsman setting out to win. It’s as simple as that.  That’s the way it’s always been for me ! On the Solidaire du Chocolat, that is the state of mind I have discovered. Positive solidarity, commitment to making things happen, whatever the cause. »

Hervé DE PRAINGY, CEO of CARGILL :
« Damien is a committed sportsman ; we are a committed partner. A number of our employees have been supporting actively and for quite some time the association « Des Pieds et Des Mains ». This partnership enables us to affirm our commitment via a project conveying all of the values of a citizen-orientated company. »

Bruno HUG de LARAUZE, Chairman of the MTTM Group :
« There has never been any question that we take sponsorship lightly. It was always a matter of true commitment focusing on values we believe in. Seeing the company’s name up on a boat and waiting for things to happen, is not the way we work.  MTTM is a cooperative enterprise which favours the long-term and financial projects which have to remain adventures our teams can get involved in and which are respectful of differences. Damien’s approach with « Des Pieds et Des Mains » is in keeping with that guiding principle, totally coherent and stimulating.»



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