Quebec City, May 29, 2025—Patrick Cyr, Executive Vice-President and Leader, Value Creation at Beneva, and a member of the Aléo Foundation’s Board of Directors, had the pleasure of awarding $100,000 in scholarships and services to 24 student-athletes, all part of Beneva’s 16th class of recipients, at the 2025 edition of this annual event held at Beneva’s Quebec City offices.
Of the recipients, 12 received their first-ever scholarship from the company, joining such illustrious athletes as Olympians Kim Boutin, speed skating, Katherine Savard, swimming, and diver Nathan Zsombor-Murray, who has been actively support by Beneva’s program since 2009.
At the scholarship presentation, held a few months after the Paris Olympics, those in attendance were able to listen to 2024 bronze medallist Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Beijing 2022 Olympian Émile Nadeau talk about their unique experiences.
Beneva scholarships are part of a broader partnership that includes the Marathon Beneva de Montréal, of which the Aléo Foundation’s Du cœur à la course will be the official cause for a second year.
In their own words:
“We don’t count our partnership with the Aléo Foundation in years, although 16 years is quite impressive. For us, it’s about having shared values and a common mission. At Beneva, we take care of our people, and so does the Aléo Foundation. Each recipient not only receives a scholarship but access to lifelong support. We are proud to be associated with the Aléo Foundation, “ shared Patrick Cyr, Executive Vice-President and Leader, Value Creation at Beneva.
“Our major partners, like Beneva, have been steadfast proponents of the Foundation since the beginning. Mutual trust has been established, and our commitment to providing essential support to Quebec’s student-athletes is clear. Juggling high-caliber athletics, studies, aspirations and dreams is a major challenge for young people. Beneva gives them the means to do this,” said Patricia Demers, Executive Director, Aléo Foundation.
Beneva’s 2025 Scholarship Program Recipients
| Name | Sport | Age | Amount | City | School |
| Chad Beaudoin | BMX | 18 | $2,000 | Québec (La Haute-Saint-Charles) | Cégep Limoilou |
| Jeanne Boilard | Artistic Swimming | 20 | $4,000 | Québec (La Cité-Limoilou) | Cégep à distance |
| Justin Boudreau | Cross-Country Skiing | 19 | $2,000 | Boucherville | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Amélie Bourgeois | Alpine Skiing | 20 | $4,000 | Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville | Université de Montréal |
| Charlie Breault | Artistic Swimming | 15 | $4,000 | Saint-Hyacinthe | Collège de Montréal |
| Florence Brunelle | Short Track Speed Skating | 21 | $4,000 | Trois-Rivières | McGill University |
| Victoriane Charron | Artistic Gymnastics | 17 | $4,000 | Mont-Saint-Hilaire | École secondaire De Mortagne |
| Samuel Darveau | Short Track Speed Skating | 21 | $4,000 | Sainte-Julie | Université du Québec à Montréal |
| Laurence Demers | Tennis | 16 | $2,000 | Boischatel | Académie les Estacades |
| Ion Diacenco | Waterpolo | 19 | $4,000 | Côte Saint-Luc | Cégep Vanier |
| Olivier Gagné | Snowboarding (snowboard cross) | 19 | $2,000 | Lac-Etchemin | Cégep Beauce-Appalaches |
| Florence Hamel | Canoe Sprint | 18 | $4,000 | Kirkland | Collégial international Sainte-Anne |
| Félix Hamel | Road Cycling | 21 | $2,000 | Sainte-Julie | Cégep Édouard-Montpetit |
| Simone Huang | Badminton | 18 | $4,000 | Laval | Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne |
| Amélie-Laura Jasmin | Diving | 21 | $4,000 | Montreal (Saint-Laurent) | HEC Montréal |
| Jacob Lebel | Snowboarding (snowboard cross) | 18 | $4,000 | Sainte-Marie | Cegep Champlain – St. Lawrence |
| Hugo Leperlier | Squash | 17 | $2,000 | Québec (Beauport) | Cégep Garneau |
| Stella Letendre | Artistic Gymnastics | 14 | $2,000 | Sorel-Tracy | École secondaire Les Trois Saisons |
| Grégoire Mercier-Noël | Volleyball | 22 | $4,000 | Boucherville | Université de Sherbrooke |
| Émile Nadeau | Freestyle Skiing (Aerials) | 21 | $4,000 | Prévost | Cégep Limoilou |
| Samuel Picard | Cross-Country Skiing | 19 | $4,000 | Tête-à-la-Baleine | Cégep Garneau et Cégep à distance |
| Greta Robinson | Freestyle Skiing (Aerials) | 20 | $2,000 | Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury | Queen’s University |
| Jacob Townsend | Sailing | 20 | $4,000 | Hudson | Concordia University |
| Nathan Zsombor-Murray | Diving | 21 | $4,000 | Pointe-Claire | Vanier College |
| Programme Donnez au Suivant – Marie-Claude Surprenant donatrice | |||||
| Shelby Lajeunesse | Triathlon | 20 | $2,000 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu |
| Joël Thibault | Cross-Country Skiing | 18 | $2,000 | Sainte-Thérèse | Cégep de Saint-Jérôme |
About Beneva
Beneva is the country’s largest mutual insurance company with 3.5 million members. Created by the coming together of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance in 2020, Beneva employs over 5,500 dedicated employees: people looking out for people. Its caring approach founded on human values and shared by its employees is anchored in its mutualist roots. With $27.5 billion in asset, Beneva has positioned itself as one of the leading Canadian companies in the insurance industry. It stands out for its diverse offerings in Group Insurance, Property and Casualty Insurance as well as Individual Insurance and Financial Services. Its head office is located in Quebec City. For more information, please consult beneva.ca.
About the Aléo Foundation
The Aléo Foundation’s mission is to maximize the full potential of the greatest number of excellent student-athletes from all walks of life, in order to generate a significant and lasting impact. Founded in 1985, the organization has awarded over $25 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 student-athletes across Quebec. In addition to these bursaries, the Foundation also provides lifelong services to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. To support these services, the Aléo Research Chair is now a vector of scientific results available to the entire sports community.
The Generations of Impact fundraising campaign aims to raise six million dollars over three years to bring us closer to our grand vision: that excellent student-athletes enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody.
To support Generations of Impact
For more information: fondationaleo.ca
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Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Fondation Aléo
438-884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Media Relations
Beneva
1-866-332-3806
media@beneva.ca