Panis-Barthez Compétition will be helping to raise the profile of Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, via the ACO, which has been a sponsor of the charity for the past eight years now. Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque helps children from developing countries who are in need of a heart operation to receive care in France. Since it was founded in 1996, the charity has provided operations for some 3,000 children who stay with volunteer host families in nine cities across France while they receive treatment.

The ACO provides a stand in the race village and one of the competing teams is selected to help drum up support for the worthy cause. In 2009, Patrick Dempsey and his team were the first ambassadors of the charity at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The American actor/driver and his team helped collect over €70,000 in donations. Since then, several teams have offered their support, including OAK Racing, who were ambassadors in 2014, with the Ligier-Honda HPD driven by David Cheng, Ho Pin Tung and Adderly Fong and again a year later with the Ligier JSP2-Nissan driven by OAK chairman Jacques Nicolet, Jean-Marc Merlin and Erik Maris.

Last year, the Panis-Barthez Compétition cars also sported the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque logo in the European Le Mans Series. At Le Mans the #23 Ligier JSP2-Nissan finished 12th overall and 8th in LM P2. Driver Inès Taittinger, who had heart surgery when she was just three days old, is another proud supporter of the charity. Olivier Panis’s contribution to the cause goes back to 2010 when he contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Peugeot 908 HDI Fap fielded by Team Oreca.  

This year “the heart team” (Team du Coeur), as they are known, is composed of former professional footballer Fabien Barthez, Timothé Buret and Nathanaël Berthon in the #23 Ligier JS P217. The three recently visited newly operated children at the Marie Lannelongue centre in Le Plessis-Robinson, near Paris.

Timothé Buret: Since I first got involved with the charity last year, it has made me realise just how important their work is and visiting these children really brings it home.  I’m extremely proud to wear the heart on my helmet. It reminds me that they are fighting for their lives. I spent a long time chatting with the host families and I admire their commitment. They provide a caring environment for the kids until they can return home to their parents.

Orso Chétochine - Director of Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque: It was logical to build on the ties we had already forged with Panis-Barthez Compétition. We were able to save six children thanks to the funds raised at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. In 2016, the drivers visited children in convalescence at the Château des Côtes so this time they were keen to go to the bedside of children who were still in hospital recovering from their operations. We are grateful to the “heart team” for their support. As sportsmen and as citizens, they relay our work to a wider audience and help raise the money we need to save young lives. On behalf of the whole Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque team, thank you!

To find out more and make a donation: www.mecenat-cardiaque.org

Photo (Pascal Saivet/VSA): The Ligier JS P217 will fly the flag for Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.