French town made new friends in Vermont by donating misspelled soccer jerseys
Jerseys' missing 'L' connects soccer fans in France and Vermont
By David Williams, CNN
Updated 1619 GMT (0019 HKT) December 1, 2017
The French town made new friends in Vermont by donating misspelled soccer jerseys
The Vermonters formally thanked their donors and plan to auction off the shirts
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/01/world/france-vermont-typo-trnd/index.html
(CNN)A typo has inspired a friendship between soccer fans in France and Vermont.
It started when the Montpellier Hérault Sport Club in Montpellier, France, bought new jerseys for the team and its supporters. When the order arrived, a patch on the shirts was missing an "L."
Quelle horreur.
Instead of letting the jerseys go to waste, Montpellier Mayor Philippe Saurel and the team offered to donate them to soccer teams in Montpelier, Vermont, which conveniently is spelled with just one "L."
John Hollar, mayor of Vermont's capital city, happily accepted and held a ceremony Thursday with students from Montpelier schools to thank the donors.
"It's a happy mistake. It's a small one, you have to look closely, but it wouldn't have happened without it, so it's a nice little coincidence and serendipitous for us," Hollar told CNN affiliate WCAX.
The two mayors also chatted over Skype.
One of the jerseys will be framed and displayed in the Montpelier High School, WCAX reports, while the rest will be auctioned off to raise money for student athletics and other charity endeavors.
Also:
French team's jersey typo becomes Vermont treasure
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/french-teams-jersey-typo-becomes-vermont-treasure/ar-BBFYVfx
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"Of course, French-American friendship has a long history that goes back to Yorktown, to the beaches of Normandy, to the Statue of Liberty," Montpelier Curriculum Director Mike Martin said. "To us, these jerseys are sort of a mini Statue of Liberty. And a deeply appreciated gift."
The school plans to auction off all but one of their 23 French soccer jerseys this winter. The last will remain on display at MHS.
The money raised will benefit school programs and specific charities important to students.
"They did a really good thing for somebody else," said Noel Riby-Williams, another Montpelier player, hoping some of the funds are directed to help a soccer team in Ghana, where she was raised.
Principal Mike McRaith said they intend to answer one act of generosity with another.
Montpellier Mayor Philippe Saurel told Hollar he hopes to visit Vermont's capital city during a U.S. trip next summer, and invited Montpelier's students to France as well.
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