Twenty-three student-athletes between the ages of 16 and 26 were awarded a total of $76,000 in individual bursaries, ranging in amounts from $2,000 to $4,000, as part of the 13th edition of the Cascades (Kingsey Falls, Que., Canada) Bursary Program, which is administered by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence. Alex Harvey, current World Champion in 50 km cross-country skiing and six-time Cascades bursary recipient, was present. Sponsored by Cascades for the past 12 years, Harvey took the opportunity to thank the company for its support, to meet the 2017 bursary recipients, and to deliver an inspiring speech about his recent dazzling achievements. 

"Cascades is proud to be associated with the Foundation and to have supported the development of young athletes for the past 13 years. Close to 250 bursaries, totaling more than $900,000, have been awarded during this period. I would like to applaud the talent, discipline, and determination of each of our bursary recipients. They are fine role models," said Mario Plourde, president and CEO of Cascades. 

Three types of bursaries were awarded: 10 Academic Excellence bursaries to recognize outstanding scholastic achievements; 12 Academic and Athletic Support bursaries to promote the balancing of academic and athletic pursuits; and one Perseverance bursary to reward a recipient who has provided inspiration by overcoming a number of obstacles with determination and grace. 

The 2017 recipients include: Amélie Kretz, Olympic triathlete; Laurent Dumais, rising star in freestyle moguls skiing; Frédérique Turgeon, 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games para-alpine hopeful; and Simon Pouliot-Cavanagh, student-athlete in freestyle moguls skiing who was awarded this year's Perseverance bursary.     

The Foundation's president, Claude Chagnon, remarked on how inspired he was by Alex Harvey's recent achievements. Harvey has received support from Cascades since he was 16 years old. According to Chagnon, loyal organizations like Cascades that support student-athletes from the time their talents are discovered make an important contribution to the development of excellent academic and athletic role models like Alex Harvey. 

A number of former Cascades Bursary Program recipients have gone on to make names for themselves in their athletic, academic, and post-athletic careers. They include: freestyle skiers and Olympic medalists Alexandre Bilodeau  and  Mikaël Kingsbury; former World Junior Snowboarding Champion Christelle Doyon, who is now a medical resident in ophthalmology; and Canadian tennis stars Eugenie Bouchard and Françoise Abanda. 

The Foundation has made a name for itself with a personalized approach, a rigorous management style, and its influence in sports and education circles. In 2017, the Foundation will award $1,350,000 in bursaries to more than 475 student-athletes and encourage the conciliation of school and high-performance sports. The Foundation works with partners and former scholarship recipients to promote academic, athletic, and professional success.