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On 9 May, the Collège Champittet Foundation invited our community to a charity dinner held at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. Dedicated to supporting children with severe burns and their families in the wake of the tragedy in Crans-Montana, the event gathered 250 guests – a record turnout – in a powerful display of solidarity.
Our charity evening included an auction led by Hôtel des Ventes Piguet, a raffle, and the sale of chocolate flowers provided by EHL. Thanks to the generosity of our guests and partners, a remarkable CHF 257,000 was raised.
By relieving the financial burden on affected families, these funds will play a crucial role in supporting the children’s long-term physical, psychological and social recovery. They will help families cover medical expenses not included by insurance as well as indirect expenses related to treatment, such as transportation, accommodation during hospital stays, purchase of medical equipment, and childcare costs for siblings.
A medical team led by Professor Anthony DeBuys-Roessingh – a Champittet alumnus and coordinator of the burns unit at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) – is collaborating with the Champittet Foundation to ensure that the funds are used to assist families sustainably over time.
Beyond fundraising, our charity evening shared a message of hope through the moving testimonies of our guest speakers. Professional musicians associated with the Champittet community and our own talented student musicians also graced the stage with heartfelt performances.
Meanwhile, our dinner guests contributed to a collaborative “Origami for Life” art project by Belgian designer Charles Kaisin. Inspired by the Japanese legend that folding 1,000 origami figures brings good luck, Charles Kaisin creates artworks from origami pieces folded by thousands of individuals to raise money for hospitals. For this project, our community—including participants from the charity evening and our students—successfully folded 7,000 origami pieces, exceeding the number required for the project. A special thank you goes to all the students, with particular appreciation for those in class 10-D, as well as Jane D. and Matia N., for their outstanding dedication.
The origami folded by our Champittet community will be unveiled during our June Promotions as a collective installation depicting a dove – a universal symbol of peace – and will be placed in our school chapel as a reminder of hope.
A big thank you to our sponsors, the participants, and everyone who helped make the evening a success through their attendance and generosity.
