Mr. Speaker, today, my colleague and I would like to highlight the exceptional work done by the organizing committee for the 59th Quebec Games, which took place last summer in Trois-Rivières and brought together more than 3,500 young athletes from across Quebec.
The committee's goal was to raise $100,000 to donate to Excellence sportive Mauricie, but thanks to the committee's efforts and the private sector's commitment, a total of $350,000 was raised for that organization, which supports talented athletes in their development. The games also generated nearly $29 million in economic spinoffs for the Mauricie region, an achievement that earned the organization the regional award of excellence.
I especially want to point out that none of this would have been possible without the dedication of the 2,318 volunteers who were central to the games' extraordinary success. I would like to recognize François Parent and Caroline Poulin, who won the outstanding volunteer team award at the most recent sports awards gala.
In closing, I wish Blainville every success and challenge the organization to do even better for the benefit of our young athletes across Quebec.