Seven is definitely the lucky number of Marcel Lussier, who at the age of 77 won a jackpot of $70 million on June 7, 2022, winning the prize for the 7/7 category and seven times the prize for category 6/7 at Lotto Max. Of the tidy sum, the former Bloc member and retired Hydro-Québec engineer chose to donate 10% to the Véro&Louis Foundation to ensure a safe environment for young adults with autism.
Already, at the time of collecting his jackpot, the main interested party had expressed his interest in supporting the foundation to the tune of 7 million dollars, he who is personally touched by the cause of autism given that a young member of his family has it.
“I am interested in everything that is published on autism, I educate myself, I study the phenomenon and I have also decided to support the cause”, relates Mr. Lussier, whose statements to the media found echo with the Véro&Louis Foundation.
A meeting was therefore organized in the months that followed at the Maison Véro&Louis in Varennes, in the company of the two founders of the organization, Véronique Cloutier and Louis Morissette, and the godmother of the cause, Guylaine Guay. A group that he qualifies as a “big family” and with which the contact was most “warm”.
For Mr. Lussier, former Bloc member for Brossard–La Prairie from 2006 to 2008, this donation and its repercussions carry more weight than his three years of political involvement.
“Even though we were an opposition party, we influenced some major decisions, but I think the impact of the donation will be greater,” he said.
“The need in the field of autism is so great that I hope that the donation I am making will encourage other people to invest or give to this organization because after 18 years, these grown-up children- there fall into an empty hole, ”adds the multimillionaire, referring to the cessation of public services once autistic people reach adulthood.
Two new addresses
Already having an installation in Varennes, in Montérégie, the Véro&Louis Foundation announced on Tuesday the creation of two new accommodation resources for autistic adults aged 21 and over.
Mr. Lussier’s generous donation as well as the financial support of the François Bourgeois Foundation will fund the construction and commissioning of these establishments planned in the Laurentians and Centre-du-Québec, but whose construction start and date opening are not yet determined.
As the prevalence of autism is on the rise and more adults will be affected by it in the coming years, the need for such centers will only grow, it is estimated.
“We are deeply grateful and touched by Mr. Lussier’s confidence in the mission of the Véro&Louis Foundation, and equally encouraged by the partnership with the François Bourgois Foundation and stakeholders such as the CIUSSS des Laurentides and de la Mauricie-et -from-Centre-du-Quebec. Our dream of being able to offer Véro&Louis houses throughout Quebec is in the process of becoming a reality thanks to this tremendous solidarity,” declared Véronique Cloutier and Louis Morissette following the announcement on Tuesday morning.
The François Bourgeois Foundation has been associated with the project since the beginning of the Cloutier-Morissette couple’s charitable adventure and will finance the construction of a house in Centre-du-Québec. “It’s a project we’ve been nurturing for a while, says its general manager Olivier Gamache. The foundation has existed for more than 20 years, but our outreach dates back more than 30 years since family members are part of this clientele. »
The organization is working to create a resource in the Victoriaville sector, where it has already collaborated in setting up a respite center and a stimulation center for young autistic people in the region. “For us, an adult living environment fills a gap in the service offer and fits naturally into the continuum of projects that the foundation supports,” adds Mr. Gamache.
Each resource will house between 16 and 20 residents.
In Quebec, nearly 17,000 children aged 1 to 17 are considered autistic.