The 37th edition of the Telethon, which began on Friday afternoon, concluded overnight from Saturday to Sunday with a final prize of more than 80 million euros, according to the AFM-Téléthon association.
At the end of the meeting, in the middle of the night, the counter read 80,671,222 euros, the organizers stated in the closing statement.
“We can talk about lives saved”
A sum that “testifies to the trust and exceptional mobilization of donors, volunteers for this edition rich in victories against the disease and in promises for all those awaiting diagnosis, the treatment that will change their lives,” the association welcomed.
“Today we can talk about lives saved, destinies changed, hopes come true, and it is thanks to you!” stressed Laurence Tiennot-Herment, president of the AFM-Téléthon, quoted in the statement.
In 2022, the Teletón raised 90.8 million euros, the best result since 2016, after two years disrupted by the Covid pandemic.
Vianney as sponsor of the 2023 edition
Like every year, events were organized in several cities in France, the event mobilized France Télévisions for 30 hours of live broadcast and the 2023 edition was sponsored by the singer Vianney.
In addition to collections on the ground, pledges of donations by telephone (3637), online (telethon.fr), a game marathon and a raffle were on the menu. The AFM (French Association against Myopathies) has dedicated around 58 million euros in 2022 to the research and development of new therapies.
The Telethon product is especially aimed at rare diseases, 95% of which remain untreated or even diagnosed. Beyond the research questions, the Telethon remains a unique event: this year it mobilized more than 200,000 volunteers and was held in more than 10,000 municipalities.
The 2023 edition made several nods to next summer’s Olympic Games, which will take place in Paris. With, for example, the “Official Dance” of the 2024 Olympic Games revealed for the first time on television during the Telethon.
Source: BFM TV
