The project Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness concluded last Friday in Nice, during an evening event held at the Holiday Inn Nice Centre. This gathering brought together athletes, partners, volunteers, and close ones for a moment of reflection. It marked the end of several months of collective commitment, highlighted by participation in the No Finish Line of Monaco and a common goal: to support disabled sports and visually impaired youth.
The project Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness was officially closed during an evening event held at the Holiday Inn Nice Centre. Athletes, partners, volunteers, and friends gathered to mark the end of a collective adventure that began several weeks earlier in Nice.
The evening started with the screening of a film that retraced the moments experienced during the No Finish Line of Monaco. The images recalled the efforts made on the track, the shared smiles, the doubts faced, and times of personal achievement. The film also highlighted the solidarity built up over the days among participants engaged under the banner of Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness.
The speeches by presidents, Mr. Gilles Veissière and Sébastien Filippini, further punctuated the evening. These speeches served to remind attendees of the project’s meaning and the reasons for this shared commitment. Emphasis was placed on the tangible impact made possible by the collective mobilization of associations, volunteers, and partners.
A Sports and Solidarity-driven Mobilization
During this closing evening, checks were officially presented. The partners had pledged to donate 1 euro for every kilometer covered during the No Finish Line of Monaco. The team Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness accumulated a total of 9,882.77 kilometers throughout the event.
This distance enabled support for three beneficiaries. An amount of 3,000 euros was allocated to Olivier Zampatti, contributing to the acquisition of a carbon brace for continued sports practice. A sum of 4,500 euros was given to the youth section of ANICES, aimed at organizing a vacation trip for visually impaired children. A check of 2,382 euros was awarded to the APLA association, a project partner.
In continuation of this solidarity commitment, the APLA association, through its president Gilles Veissière, decided to donate the entire amount to ANICES. This donation supported two new projects: one intended for volunteers and one dedicated to the development of the running section.
This decision extended the spirit in which the project was conceived. A mindset of sharing and mutual support guided all actions taken since the initiative’s launch.
The project Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness was launched in Nice at the end of October. The initiative brought together several local associations around a collective challenge: participating in the No Finish Line of Monaco, held from November 15 to 23, for the benefit of disabled sports and visually impaired youth.
The core of the project was based on participating in this solidarity race open to everyone. For several days, walkers and runners took turns accumulating kilometers. Every kilometer covered was converted into a donation. Two objectives were set from the outset. The first objective focused on financing a new prosthesis for Olivier Zampatti, a disabled athlete involved in the project. The second objective was to organize a trip for visually impaired youths aged 10 to 15, seeking new experiences.
In Nice, sports served as the anchor point for this solidarity-driven approach. Three local figures, Gilles Veissière, Sébastien Filippini, and Olivier Zampatti, joined forces around this common project. The initiative was carried by the associations APLA and ANICES. The stated goal was simple: to combine sports commitment and mutual assistance.
During the 26th edition of the No Finish Line of Monaco, the team participating under the banner Hand in Hand for Everyone’s Happiness experienced eight days of effort and presence on the track. Sport, solidarity, and encounters marked this participation.
The objectives set at the start were achieved before the end of the week. The hoped-for 5,000 kilometers were exceeded midway. The counter continued to rise until it reached 9,882.77 kilometers. The team finished in sixth place among 392 groups engaged. The ranking was of secondary importance compared to the exchanges experienced on the track.
The team comprised experienced runners, walkers, disabled athletes, guides, and volunteers. Some participants were discovering the No Finish Line for the first time, while others were already familiar with the event. At the end of this adventure, a common observation emerged: a dense, demanding week, and a new way of approaching the race, centered on the collective.
