A CHALLENGE TO KEEP THE MEMORY OF EDGAR ALIVE
In 2006, Serge Tremblay, who is also the founder of the Leucan Shaved Head Challenge and Jean-François Perreault set up the first 12-Hour Ski Challenge event, presented by Ski Bromont. While planning this first edition, they had an influential and decisive meeting with the parents of Edgar Sirhan-Gibson, a cancer-stricken child.
After the event’s first edition, the Organizing Committee—made up of Mia Sirhan, Thierry Gibson, Jocelyne Sirhan, Serge Tremblay, and Jean-François Perreault—decided to keep the memory of Edgar alive, as he passed away at 18 months of age, by making the Leucan 12-Hour Ski Challenge an annual fundraising event in honour of this Leucan child.
Watch the testimonial of Edgar’s parents (in French only)
MANY CELEBRITIES SUPPORTED THE LEUCAN SKI CHALLENGE
- Andréa Bédard in 2006 (Olympic Athlete in Giant Slalom and Canadian champion)
- Stefie Shock who gave a concert down the slopes in 2007
- Joey Scarpellino in 2012 and 2013
- Tobi Bureau Huot, Andy Duquette, Marco Calliari et Michaël Roy in 2014
- Félix Séguin and Caroline Proulx in 2017
- Félix Séguin and Geneviève Simard in 2018 and 2019
- Félix Séguin and Cindy Ouellet in 2020
- Félix Séguin and Katherine Levac in 2021
- Félix Séguin in 2022 and 2023
For Leucan’s 30th anniversary in 2009, Simple Plan also gave an outdoor concert at Ski Bromont.
THE LEUCAN SKI CHALLENGE: CONSTANTLY EVOLVING
| Statistics about the Leucan Ski Challenge | |||
| YEARS | PARTICIPANTS | AMOUNT RAISED | MOUTAINS |
| 2006 | 288 | $58,122 | Ski Bromont |
| 2007 | 310 | $79,685 | Ski Bromont |
| 2008 | 696 | $185,000 | Ski Bromont |
| 2009 | 1258 | $350,000 | Ski Bromont, Chatecler and Stoneham Mountain Resort |
| 2010 | 1640 | $460,000 | Ski Bromont, Chantecler, Stoneham Mountain Resort, Mont Cascades, Mont Lac-Vert and Mont-Vidéo |
| 2011 | 2228 | $610,000 | Ski Bromont, Stoneham Moutain Resort, Mont Cascades, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2012 | 2785 | $723,000 | Ski Bromont, Chantecler, Stoneham Mountain Resort, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2013 | 2660 | $778,000 | Ski Bromont, Stoneham Mountain Resort, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2014 | 2236 | $720,000 | Ski Bromont, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2015 | 1,500 + | $530,000 | Ski Bromont, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2016 | 1,200 + | $465,000 | Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2017 | 1,400 | $600,000 | Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2018 | 1,460 | $584,585 | Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo and Vallée du Parc |
| 2019 | 1,690 | $700,000 | Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont Lac-Vert, Mont-Vidéo, Vallée du Parc and Valinouët |
| 2020 | 1,714 | $680,000 | The ban on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the holding of the 2020 Leucan Ski Challenge at Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont-Vidéo, Vallée du Parc, Valinouët and Mont Adstock. |
| 2021 | 714 | $448,000 | Bromont, montagne d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont-Vidéo, Vallée du Parc, Valinouët and Mont Adstock. |
| 2022 | 1555 | 1 044 171 $ | Bromont, montagnes d’expériences, Station touristique Stoneham, Mont Adstock, Mont-Vidéo, Forêt récréative de Val-d’Or, Vallée du Parc, Valinouët and Mont-Bélu. |
| 2023 | 2241 | 1 400 000 $ | Bromont, montagnes d’expériences, Mont Adstock, Mont-Vidéo, Station touristique Stoneham, Valinouët and Vallée du Parc |
| 2024 | 1739 | 1 213 000 $ | Bromont, montagnes d’expériences, Mont Adstock, Mont-Vidéo, Station touristique Stoneham, Valinouët and Vallée du Parc |
THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY NAMED EDGAR (AS TOLD BY HIS PARENTS)
” When Edgar was born, he was perfect: two eyes, two ears, two arms, ten fingers, two legs, two feet and ten toes. He had everything to live a full life…so we thought. We saw the future with him: skiing, his first day of school, his first girlfriend, even the children he would someday have. But all these dreams crumbled on August 23, 2005, when we learned that Edgar had cancer. He was only 11 months old. We realized that day that drama can strike anyone at any time.
The months following the diagnosis of this horrible disease were extremely difficult for him…and for us. The doctors tried every treatment available to cure his cancer. Unfortunately, they could not save his life. On March 18, 2006, Edgar became an angel at the tender age of 18 months.
Our story says how important it is to give money for the advancement of science and to support families who must face such an ordeal. Event though, the medical world evolves quickly, the existing treatments, equipment and medications are not enough to treat and save the lives of all our children.
Whether you give $5, $10, $20, $40, $100, the amount does not matter because each dollar counts! Join in and give according to your budget, ask your friends and family to give to the 12-hour Ski Challenge. Together, we can help save lives and support families of children with cancer.
It’s in Edgars memory that we will be skiing again this year, not only was he our motivation to initiate the Leucan 12-Hour Ski Challenge, but also to continue supporting the families, who like us, face the difficult reality of pediatric cancer.”
