The last days were fertile in emotions for Claude Raymond. On Wednesday, the National Assembly marked the 50e anniversary of the foundation bearing his name during House proceedings.
Prime Minister François Legault gave him a framed letter testifying to the government’s recognition for its community involvement with young people.
Thursday evening, beneficiaries of the Claude-Raymond Fund, citizens of the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu region and associates working within his foundation said thank you during an evening held at the Military College.
The former major league pitcher was blown away by so many honors. But like a good team player, he returned this gratitude to all the people who have supported him in the smooth running of his foundation since 1971.
Judging by the length of the list, he didn’t forget anyone.
Her son is already involved
Big names in Quebec sport sponsored foundations during their lifetime. We think in particular of Jean Béliveau and Henri Richard.
At one point in their lives, the Canadiens’ two former center players turned over the funds that were left in the hands of other charities.
Béliveau had opted for the Society for Handicapped Children of Quebec.
As for Claude Raymond, he wants his foundation to survive him.
“My wish is that this will continue when I’m gone,” he hopes.
“My son Claude-Marc is already part of the foundation and I am sure that my daughter Nathalie would also embark.
“If I left before my wife Rita, I’m sure she would do the same herself.” “
Longevity record
84 years old, Raymond is not his age. He still has a straight body and he has all his faculties. He could even come again in relief to the mound.
But he knows very well that no one is eternal.
On the other hand, he thinks that his foundation relies on good players to live a very long time.
We can already speak of a longevity record for an organization of its kind in Quebec.
How to explain this durability?
“I take the time to talk to the world,” Raymond replies after a moment of reflection.
“I surrounded myself with good people at the start. It got bigger, it got bigger and the people around me brought other good people into the group. “
Not easy, building a stadium
At first, Raymond teamed up with the late André Dion, who was a journalist for the weekly French Canada, with Louis McNulty, a great apostle of amateur sport who also refereed in the QMJHL, and André Trahan.
The first idea was to build a new baseball stadium in Saint-Jean. But realizing that such an enterprise would be too expensive, the leaders decided to come to the aid of amateur sport and the athletes of the region.
The foundation has since distributed around two million dollars.
In 1988, the Fund granted $ 100,000 to the City of Saint-Jean for the construction of an indoor swimming pool on the site of the Claude-Raymond Sports Complex.
Today there are ball, soccer and football fields, as well as an athletics track named in honor of Pierre Larose, a former goalkeeper who died of heart failure while transporting to bike the torch of the Quebec Games presented in Saint-Jean, in 1989.
The surplus money from these games was paid to the Claude-Raymond Fund, which seized the opportunity to broaden its horizons.
Since then, scholarships have also been awarded to young people who are asserting themselves in the world of arts and culture, education and science.
Thank you from Yves Laforest
Mountaineer Yves Laforest, the first Quebecer to reach the summit of Everest in 1991, and figure skater Isabelle Brasseur were the first athletes of the year honored by the Claude-Raymond Fund.
“Yves thanked us by leaving a cap and a pin identified with the Fund on the summit of Everest,” says Raymond with pride.
It’s not nothing.
Laforest unfortunately disappeared with two other climbers during an expedition in British Columbia in 2003.
After having climbed Mount Hope Peak, Laforest, Michel Bastien and a Frenchman who accompanied them descended the Incomappleux River in a canoe kayak.
We never saw them again.
Laforest was 47 years old.
Aurélie Rivard also remembers
Young athletes from all walks of life have benefited from the support of the Claude-Raymond fund over the past 30 years.
Swimmer Aurélie Rivard, winner of 16 medals at the Paralympic Games in London in 2012, Rio in 2016 and Tokyo presented last summer paid a vibrant tribute to Raymond on Thursday evening.
She wouldn’t have missed this evening for the world,
The other evening, the commanding officer of the Military College introduced himself to Claude Raymond to tell him that he was among the many young people who wore baseball uniforms provided by his foundation in his youth.
It was beautiful to see it all.
It’s the kind of moment you never get tired of.
