For the sixth year in a row, a team of intrepid Resolute employees trekked 32 kilometres (about 20 miles) over four days across the frozen Lake Saint-Jean on snowshoes. Their mission? To take on the Double défi des deux Mario, an annual challenge organized by local residents Mario Cantin and Mario Bilodeau to raise funds for Sur la pointe des pieds (the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation). The foundation creates therapeutic adventure expeditions for young people living with cancer, restoring self-esteem, stamina and smiles.
A total of 100 people participated in this year’s event, including the delegation of 10 Resolute employees who raised an impressive $11,884. Including this sum, Resolute employees and facilities have donated over $240,000 to the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation since 2017. On the Tip of the Toes is based in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, which is also home to numerous Resolute operations and thousands of employees.
Many of the participants trained for weeks in advance of the event, which required them to trek between 10 and 12 kilometres each day. Spirits remained high even as temperatures dipped to -27 degrees Celsius. “We’ve lived through worse,” recalls Janic Gaudreault, director of Talent Acquisition for Quebec and Human Resources for Côte-Nord sawmill and woodland operations. “In 2017, we spent our first night at -35 °C! Year after year, we remain determined to take on this challenge, so that we can support these young people.” And in addition to the usual precautions taken to ensure participants’ safety, the organizers made sure to respect the guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19. This year’s Double défi des deux Mario was another hugely successful event for a very worthy cause.
Congratulations to all those who participated in this truly unique challenge!
