Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque
 Tour de France partner since 2003, the Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque (MCC) organisation will be present once again this year throughout the three weeks of the race.
A.S.O. is in fact sponsor to MCC, set up in in 1996 by Professor Francine Leca and Patrice Roynette, with the aim of carrying out operations in France on disadvantaged children suffering from heart malformations when this is impossible in their native country. The organisation's daily challenge is to receive an ever-growing number of children, carry out the operations and see them back home in tip-top shape. The result is that, today, over 950 children have been operated on over the 10 years thanks to the generosity of partner enterprises, foster families, individual donors and a host of volunteers.
Three weeks to buy the bear key-rings sporting the colours of the Tour de France
Throughout the event, the bear key-rings with the "Little Heart", the organisation's symbol, sporting the the colours of the race's distinctive jerseys (yellow, red polka-dot, white and green) will be on sale in the caravan with the Yellow Kit and in town shops.
MCC will also be present on the Etape du Tour where the organisation will have a stand in the village. Key-ring sales are aimed to raise funds for operations on over 10 children!
Tour sponsors back Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque
 As each year, a certain number of sponsors are backing the organisation, in particular this year jersey sponsors LCL-Le Crédit Lyonnais, Champion, PMU and Skoda, but also Antargaz, Nestlé Aquarel and Eurotyre.
Their commitment will raise funds for MCC to carry out operations on 15 children!
A Heart stage on the Tour
Each year, MCC organises "The Heart Stage" which consists of a pack of twenty or so celebrities cycling on a time-trial stage.
This year, sporting the organisation's colours, the celebrities will be putting heart and soul into covering the 52 kilometres that separate the towns of Saint-Grégoire and Rennes (7th stage, Saturday 8 July 2006).
Last year's cycling pack included Paul Belmondo, Arnaud Clément, Jean-Pierre Danguillaume, Antoine De Caunes, Anthony Delon, Gérard Holtz, Thierry Lacroix, Magalie Le Floch, Roxana Maracineanu, Franck Piccard, Julie Pomagalski, Guy Roux, Richard Virenque…
In 3 years, partnership with the Tour de France has made it possible to save 66 children and, with this year's edition, the figure should rise to around the 100 mark!
Donations and information on www.mecenat-cardiaque.org
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Saturday 22 July 2006 
