Le Noël d'Urgences-santé pour les enfants malades: A Go-To Christmas Tradition during the Santa Claus Parade!

Over 50 young patients will meet Santa

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 17, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Committed to our community, Corporation d'urgences-santé proudly participates in the 22nd edition of Destination Centre-Ville's Santa Claus Parade, by bringing the magic of the holidays to 58 sick kids and their families. Over 100 volunteer employees, including many paramedics, will take care of these young patients when they will meet Santa and the Christmas Fairy downtown Montréal on Saturday, November 17.

"For Urgences-santé, this celebration is a holiday tradition and it's a favourite among our employees. They happily donate their time every year so they can witness the wonder in the children's eyes when Santa arrives. In fact, I want to thank them because it's their dedication and involvement that has made this event a success for 22 years!, says Nicola D'Ulisse, President and CEO of Urgences-santé. Over the years, we've brought joy into the lives of over 1,000 families going through a difficult time, by offering them this moment of respite. We're very happy to give these young patients a Christmas experience outside the hospital. It's a heartwarming experience for the families and it gives meaning to what we do," says Mr. D'Ulisse.

New partnership with The Lighthouse Children and Families
Urgences-santé has enjoyed ongoing support for many years from four Montréal hospital centres, namely, CHU Sainte-Justine, the Marie Enfant rehabilitation centre, the Shriners Hospital for Children and the Montreal Children's Hospital. This year, Urgences-santé is pleased to have a brand new partnership with The Lighthouse, Children and Families, Quebec's first pediatric hospice and palliative care centre.

The Urgences-santé pre-parade: Starring our ambulances!
Urgences-santé will be deploying 15 ambulances, 4 adapted buses and 4 passenger buses to transport the children and their families. The ambulances will roll down St-Catherine Street West to Phillips Square, to the area reserved for Urgences-santé. Our volunteers will warmly welcome the 200 participants, including the families, in Phillips Square. This year, our organization wanted to make the young patients' experience even better by improving the site. To keep them busy while they wait for Santa, a heated tent will feature activities, story time, crafts and a Christmas tree to decorate. Each child will also receive a gift, courtesy of the Salvation Army.

The Destination centre-ville Santa Claus Parade
Presented by Destination centre-ville and produced by the Carnaval de Québec, the Destination centre-ville Santa Claus Parade will feature more than 20 floats, including the Christmas Fairy's and Santa's. A number of artists will also participate, creating a festive ambiance along the parade route. Tons of surprises will make the day magical for all, young and old.

The Urgences-santé pour les enfants malades Christmas activity would not be possible without the help of our partners. Thank you to McDonald's, Eventure, Sanivac, the Salvation Army and Gradin RD.

About Corporation d'urgences-santé
Corporation d'urgences-santé is the largest pre-hospital service organization in Quebec. It employs 1,400 people, including some 940 paramedics and 100 emergency medical dispatchers, who serve the population of Montréal and Laval. It receives over 390,000 calls each year.

SOURCE Urgences-santé