Montreal, May 9, 2023 – The Aléo Foundation and CF Montréal awarded four 2,000 $ scholarships to some of the most promising young female soccer players during halftime of the game on Saturday, May 6, at Saputo Stadium.
The Montreal club is thus continuing its commitment to the development of women's soccer. This initiative is indeed directly aligned with CF Montreal's mission, which notably aims to give back to the community by supporting soccer from the grassroots level, contributing to the development of youth, and serving as a driver of dreams and emotions for young girls passionate about the beautiful game.
The female players Érika Gariépy, Florianne Jourde, Janet Okeke and Félicia Roy were invited to the center of the pitch at Saputo Stadium. They received their scholarships from the president of CF Montréal, Gabriel Gervais, and of the CEO of Aléo, Patricia Demers.
New name, new image, same mission!
The Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) has adopted a new name and visual identity: ALÉO – Propelling the athlete beyond sport. This change aims to further highlight its personalized approach where overall well-being and Well-being in performance its scholarship holders are at the center of its actions.
CF Montréal 2023 Scholarship Recipients
Érika Gariépy / 1st CF Montréal scholarship and 2nd from the Aléo Foundation
16 years old – Repentigny
2000 $ Scholarship
7th with the PEF team in the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec (PLSQ) in 2022.
First place in the regular season and at the provincial championship with his Under-16 AAA team in 2021.
Member of the Soccer Québec Women's EXCEL Program.
> Is a 9th-grade student in the sports-academic program at École Saint-Gabriel in Sainte-Thérèse.
> Érika has set a goal of helping her team win the championship this season and is also aiming to earn a scholarship to an NCAA Division I program. She plans to major in engineering in college. Dreaming of playing professionally, she wants to become an engineer and a coach so she can pass on her love of the sport to younger players.
Florianne Jourde / 1st CF Montréal Scholarship Recipient and 3rd Aléo Foundation Scholarship Recipient
18 years old – Montreal (Le Plateau—Mont-Royal)
2000 $ Scholarship
Helped the Canadian team qualify for the CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship in April 2023.
> Was a member of the Canadian team at the Under-20 World Cup in August 2022.
> Studies pure and applied sciences at Vanier CEGEP.
Florianne wants to help the national team stand out at the 2024 World Under-20 Championship. She also wants to make a good first impression with the University of Southern California Trojans. She is very interested in the field of health. Her dream job would combine the health and sports sectors. She thus envisions herself participating in research on athlete performance.
Janet Okeke / 1st CF Montréal Scholarship and 3rd Aléo Foundation Scholarship
17 years old – Laval
2000 $ Scholarship
> She won a silver medal with the Quebec team at the Canada Games in Niagara in August 2022 and was named to the All-Star Team for the competition.
> Bronze medalist with the Canadian team at the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in May 2022.
Member of the Soccer Québec Women's EXCEL Program.
> Is a 5e secondaire student in the sports-academic program at École Georges-Vanier in Laval.
> Janet hopes to earn a spot on the national under-20 team and be recruited by a top-tier American university in the NCAA. She plans to pursue a degree in business or computer science.
Félicia Roy / CF Montréal's 1st scholarship recipient and the Aléo Foundation's 3rd
17 years old – Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
2000 $ Scholarship
Played for the Canadian team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in October 2022.
> Bronze medalist with the Canadian team at the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in May 2022.
Member of the Soccer Québec Women's EXCEL Program.
> Is a 5e secondaire student in the sports-academic program at Collège Français.
> Félicia hopes to earn her share of assists this season, but also to score goals. She also wants to refine her preparation between games by taking better care of her body. She dreams of playing professionally, is interested in marketing, and would like to start her own business. The human body is a subject of interest to her, as she sees herself becoming a massage therapist or kinesiologist.
About CF Montréal
Founded in 1992 and having completed its first season in 1993, CF Montréal is a professional soccer club that has been competing in MLS—North America’s top division—since 2012. It has won the Canadian Championship five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021) the Canadian Championship and notably reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions League in 2015, as well as the quarterfinals in 2009 and, more recently, in March 2022. In 2010, the organization established the CF Montréal Academy, a training center for soccer players aged 13–20 that is part of its development pyramid. The Academy has nearly 80 players in its flagship program. Through the Impact Foundation of Montreal, CF Montréal is deeply committed to the community. Its mission is to organize and support activities aimed at improving the quality of life for children and families from underprivileged backgrounds. In particular, it provides sports facilities to promote physical activity and social integration.
About the Aléo Foundation
Established in 1985, the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence (FAEQ) has awarded over $20 million in scholarships to nearly 4,000 outstanding student-athletes from across Quebec. With the goal of clarifying the organization's mission to propel athletes beyond sports, in 2022 the FAEQ rebranded and changed its name to Fondation Aléo. In addition to continuing its provision of scholarships and support services to tomorrow's leaders, it confirms its personalized approach, focusing on the overall well-being and development of its scholarship recipients in their performance.
For more information: fondationaleo.ca as well as the official Aléo Foundation pages on our platforms:
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For interview requests or other information, please contact Josée Robitaille at josee.robitaille@fondationaleo.ca.
For more information:
Patricia Demers
Chief Executive Officer
Aléo Foundation
514-252-3171, extension 3728
patricia.demers@fondationaleo.ca
