Donate toys, bring sunshine to children in hospital

The magic of “Les Voiles Blanches” is back in the Principality, a summer odyssey where every donated toy becomes a star in the firmament of a child in hospital.

Since Thursday 24 July, two very special treasure chests can be found in the lobby of the Town Hall and at Le Condamine market. They await your donations – new toys and games, not gift wrapped – intended for the Fondation Lenval’s young patients.

Full-sail philanthropy

It’s like a modern-day adventure story: the White Pirate, the initiative’s emblematic figure, will be spending the summer on the Mediterranean aboard his sailboat, the Skaf. From the Bouches-du-Rhône to the Alpes-Maritimes by way of the Var, he will be collecting the donated items to help brighten up the children’s time in hospital.

White sails on the horizon! Monaco is collecting toys for children in hospital until 9 September

Health requirements mean the toys must be new – a strict rule that guarantees the wellbeing of even the most vulnerable patients. The initiative, which grows in popularity every year, enables the Monegasque population’s generosity to bring some hope to the families concerned.

Taking part in the Voiles Blanches means much more than just giving a toy: it means bringing a little Mediterranean colour into the sanitised hospital environment, and letting the children know that the outside world hasn’t forgotten them.