The Espoir en Tête initiative, led by the Rotary Clubs of Luxembourg, recently celebrated its 10th edition with success, raising €44,000 for neurodegenerative disease research in Luxembourg. Since its launch in 2013, this impactful initiative has raised a total of €683,000, funding 21 different research projects.
The initiative’s signature fundraising method is the organisation of exclusive previews and special screenings at the Kinepolis cinemas in Kirchberg and Belval. This tradition has proven to be a successful and engaging way to raise community support for critical scientific research.
The 10th edition of Espoir en Tête stood out not only for its significant fundraising achievements, but also for its unique focus on a Luxembourgish film for the first time. The initiative presented the film “Fox and Hare Save the Forest” during the event, which took place on 6 October 2024 and attracted around 1,850 spectators.
This year’s funds will be allocated to two specific research projects. The first, which will receive €25,000, will investigate the role of microbiota amyloids in triggering protein aggregation associated with neurodegenerative diseases and will be led by Prof. Paul Wilmes. The second project, funded with €19,000, will investigate the role of mitochondrial and lysosomal transfer through tunneling nanotubes in neurodegenerative diseases and will be led by Dr Dimitri Budinger.
