And it's time to take your wallet out because this weekend is the Téléthon in France. Even the tiniest association in Versailles (and there are many) organizes various activities meant to raise funds destined to the research for curing rare diseases or help improve the life of patients suffering of these rare diseases. Our complex building's association organized a discovery dance class and a children dance show, but there are concerts, raffles or theatre shows all over Versailles. A great occasion for going out, socializing, and proudly wonder at the talents that your progeniture inherited from yourself and not from your partner.
The association at the origin of the Téléthon, AFM (Association française contre les myopathies) was created by patients and their families as a reaction against the annoying tendency of pharmaceutical industry to only fund the research of the most frequent diseases, more economically profitable due to the number of potential clients. 54 years later, AFM raises almost one hundred million in 30 hours of Téléthon (the record was hit in 2006 with almost 107 million euros), it founded a research center for the genic therapies, Généthon, legally authorized to develop its own drugs, an Institute of Myology, and an institute for stem cell therapy, I-stem. Wow, the power of the civil society!
It's not only the estimated 3 million people carrying those rare diseases, it's the pride of the French nation at stake and a strong feeling against the capitalist pharma-market, so people are generous. Combine it with a tax refund of about 66% and the picture becomes even clearer.
Happy giving!
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