Everyone knows that football is a popular sport that allows great causes to mobilize. We have seen this with matches organized by the France 98 group for the victims of the floods in the Gard a few years ago or last May with the match in Toulouse to raise funds for the collective created after the explosion of the AZF factory. And in Nice too, we know how to help others.
On May 21, 2005, the Ray stadium was the scene of two important events for the life of Nice. OGC Nice hosted Auxerre as part of the 37th day of the Ligue 1 championship, and the first notable event of the evening happened at the 29th minute when Victor Agali scored his 6th goal of the season, his first in 23 matches. The second very important event of that match was the number of spectators: 15,755 supporters came to cheer for their team.
But why is such a turnout so important? Simply because OGC Nice had decided to retain one euro from each paid entry to donate to the Pediatric Surgery and Pediatrics Services of Professor Jacques Griffet and Professor Patrick Boutté. This operation, named “Children without pain,” was the result of a collaboration between two famous service clubs, the Lions Club and the Rotary Club. Piere Bénéssiano, secretary of Rotary-Lions-OGC Nice, and Virginie Rossetti for OGC Nice should be particularly congratulated for organizing this event.
And it was Tuesday evening when a reception was held at the CHU of Nice, Archet 2 Hospital, aimed at thanking everyone involved and officially presenting the medical equipment, purchased for an amount of €16,700 with these generously offered funds. This meeting was held in the presence of Jean-Claude Mari, deputy mayor for sports of the city of Nice representing the Senator-Mayor, Maurice Cohen, and Gilbert Stellardo, president and administrator of OGC Nice, Jean-Jacques Romatet, general director of the CHU, Jean Marie Gasparini, president of the Supporters Club, and many Governors, representatives of the Lions and Rotary Clubs of Nice.
The sum collected during the Nice-Auxerre match allowed the purchase of:
– one EOLE® ventilator which eases the breathing of children, particularly those with myopathy. This device is used postoperatively after scoliosis surgery but also for children with pulmonary pathology who have undergone thoracic surgery (purulent pleurisy, pulmonary malformations, etc.),
– five pulse oximeters and multi-parameter monitors for respiratory and cardiac monitoring after surgery, especially if they have morphine pumps to control pain. They are also used to monitor young children with bronchiolitis.
This action proves once again that OGC Nice is not there only to provide entertainment for the people of Nice. The club is a major player in the city of Nice and shows through this action the heart that it is known for. It is also worth noting that this event is unique in that it is the first time the two “service clubs” have worked together, hand in hand, for the same cause. And they have all promised, this is just the beginning of a long collaboration!
Lions Club? Rotary Club? What are these?
I also want to explain a little about what these two “service clubs” are. Through my research and meeting some of the responsible parties, I realized that these people do more than just “dine together.” These groups aim to provide support to people who have not had the opportunity to move forward more effectively in life. They are the two largest non-governmental organizations in the world and are present in major disasters around the world.
What is the Lions Club?
“We don’t get very far if we don’t do something for someone else.”
This simple and generous idea was the starting point for “Lionism,” an American movement created by Melvin Jones, who became the owner of an insurance company. He joined Chicago’s Business Circle, where he became the secretary. This association allowed 200 leaders of industrial and commercial companies to meet and serve their interests. However, this purpose did not satisfy Melvin Jones. The notion of “Service Club” appeared then. On June 7, 1917, representatives of the Circles met in Chicago. They chose the lion as the emblem, symbolizing strength and courage. “Lionism” would become a way of being and behaving generously, an openness of mind for the benefit of mankind regardless of nationality, religion, or philosophy.
In 1920, the “Lion” went international. The acronym “LIONS” was defined: Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations’ Safety (freedom and understanding are the safeguards of our nations), and the motto “We Serve” was adopted. From then on, the actions of “Lions International” extended beyond the borders of the United States. Clubs were created throughout the American continent, in Asia, and the Pacific. Today, Lions International is the largest international association of “Service Clubs” in the world with 1.4 million members in 43,000 clubs distributed in 185 countries, each country having, moreover, a wide autonomy allowing it to manifest the cultural identity of the Association. “Lionism” took root in Europe after World War II, initially in Sweden, then in Switzerland, and in France where the first French Lions Club was created in 1948. Gradually, it spread across the territory. To date, there are 31,500 members and 1200 clubs united in 15 districts grouped in Multiple District 103 in France.
What is the Rotary Club?
The Rotary Club is an organization that brings together men and women from businesses: business executives, liberal professions, various civil servants including teachers and school principals, craftsmen…united around the ideal of “SERVING.” The motto of Rotary International is indeed “SERVICE ABOVE SELF.”
Paul HARRIS, a lawyer in Chicago, created the first Rotary Club on February 23, 1905, based on friendly relations and high professional integrity. The notion of serving and working for communities quickly appeared. Rotarians, both men and women, are driven by a spirit of selfless service, devoted to Peace, and Tolerance, in touch with today’s world in “dreaming of a better world, where it will be good to live for our children, regardless of their race, religion, or political opinions.”
Today, the headquarters of Rotary International is in Evanston (USA), where the Council of Legislation sits. It has a consultative voice at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). It is a consulting partner at UNESCO and a partner of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The name “Rotary International” was adopted in 1922. Today, Rotary is present on all continents with clubs in 162 countries. There are about 1,200,000 Rotarians, more than 30,000 clubs and 530 districts around the world. The Rotary emblem, the wheel, is quite significant—each year the wheel turns a notch, thus allowing each member to exercise all functions within the clubs as well as those of the highest authorities.
