The 17^e Monegasque Red Nose Day was held this Monday, December 6, the day of Saint Nicholas – the patron saint of children. The principle is simple: affix a red foam ball on your vehicle, generated for two symbolic euros, donated to the association Les enfants de Frankie. Other actions are also planned for Christmas, in order to remain in solidarity with the youngest as the holidays approach.

This little red foam ball is the nose of Frankie the clown, the association’s mascot Frankie’s Children. It was possible to buy it for two euros in pharmacies, tobacco shops and at the Carrefour de Fontvieille to support this association which helps sick, disadvantaged or disabled children in Monaco and throughout the region. Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region.

Thanks to actions such as the Red Nose, the Kids’ Nite of December 5 (canceled due to the rebound of the pandemic) and the Christmas of Frankie, the association provides financial support to more than 200 organizations working with children in need, including Fights Aids Monaco and the Foyer de l’Enfance Princesse Charlène.

A two-euro coin

” Each two-euro coin collected is used to finance projects: if a child needs a wheelchair, if children need to benefit from therapeutic workshops or arrangements of sensory spaces … »Explains Jessica Sapia, member of the association Les enfants de Frankie.

Behind the financial aspect, the action has of course a social character. To brandish your red nose is to create curiosity in those who will not come to know. ” The operation is also used to inform the citizens of Monaco and the outlying municipalities on the cause of children in distress close to their homes. “

In addition to material assistance, the association offers entertainment and educational activities. Children “Who do not have the means and who see sanitized rooms every day” are invited to participate in events, such as the Monte-Carlo Circus or the Formula 1 Grand Prix, as well as activities such as visiting an educational farm or going to the zoo. ” We try to be there, at the end of the race, to show them that there is a possibility of seeing another chosen »Continues Jessica Sapia.

Development of a sensory trail in Cannes

With the funds raised in 2020, the association has set up a sensory trail in Cannes this year. ” It is a place of welcome for young mothers who have been received in an accommodation center with their children. »Specifies our worker from the association.

The Cannes structure welcomes these young families in difficulty and works on the link between mother and child, often difficult or even in extreme situations. ” There was a project to create an educational garden with a space for sensory discovery. »Hearing stimuli, with bamboo colliding, or even tactile, with the use of certain types of materials, such as wood or stone. A place where ” children are led to walk to discover or rediscover this garden and to feel sensations that have a beneficial effect »Jessica Sapia concludes.

For the future, the association hopes ” helps more and more children ”, And there are many in the region. Next meeting on December 22 (depending on sanitary conditions) with Frankie’s Christmas at the Grimaldi Forum. During this festive day, thousands of sick and disadvantaged children receive their Christmas gifts and will enjoy a friendly afternoon tea.

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