On Wednesday 13th December, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcomed several hundred children to the Élysée Palace for the traditional Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
6 ELA children, accompanied by their parents, were invited to take part in this event. They were accompanied by Crystelle Cottart, President of ELA France.
The children could admire the Christmas decorations at the Élysée Palace and meet Disney characters Mickey, Minnie, Elsa and Anna, Spider-Man and Stitch for a photo session. Children could also have their faces painted and leave with balloon sculptures.
Then Clara, Axel, Candice, Julien, Héléna, Djebril, Lénie and Pierre from Star Academy 2023 left the château for the traditional concert. They performed “J’irai au bout de mes rêves”, several cartoon songs and “Petit Papa Noël”. It was at this point that Santa Claus appeared, much to the delight of the children. The day ended with a snack and the distribution of presents.
Children and grownups left with stars in their eyes at the end of this magical interlude.
We would like to warmly thank Emmanuel Macron for his invitation, and his wife Brigitte Macron, who has been supporting ELA and its fight against leukodystrophies since 2016.