On April 29, 2005, the TeamCeline 2004 Grand Prize winner, Véronique from Orsay, France, and her daughter Vanessa, met with Céline in Las Vegas.
"It all started on December 17, 2004, when the phone rang. It was someone from TeamCeline in Canada telling me that I was the Grand Prize Winner for 2004. My heart was beating wildly and I couldn't believe it. But thanks to the e-mail and phone communications with TeamCeline, and later the delivery of the plane tickets, I started to realize that I was going to live a fairytale come true.
The big day came and my daughter Vanessa and I took off from Roissy near Paris, France, on April 28 in the morning, destination Las Vegas. We were really excited: we were going to the United States for the first time, we were going to attend Celine's show for the first time, and we were going to meet our idol.
When we arrived in Las Vegas around 6.30 p.m., it was sunset and from the shuttle which took us to our hotel, Caesars Palace, we could see the lights of the city. Caesars Palace is a stunning hotel! It's a luxury hotel featuring lounges, gaming rooms, restaurants, gardens... We settled down in our magnificent room and left the hotel for our first look at the city by night. It was fantastic: Las Vegas, a city of light and game. We were struck by the size of neon signs, the casinos as far as the eye can see, the streets bustle, and the limousines. Everything is excessive and fantastic.
The day after, after a wonderful breakfast at Caesars Palace, we visited Las Vegas during the day. Our cameras in hand and under the sun, we strolled along 'The Strip', Las Vegas' main boulevard along which the biggest hotel-casinos can be found. We spent the day discovering these luxury hotels, shopping and taking pictures in order to keep track of our moments of happiness.
Late in the afternoon, we came back to the hotel for dinner and to get ready for our Meet'n Greet with Celine. I wanted everything to be perfect for our meeting with Celine. We carefully got ready. I constantly looked at my watch because I didn't want to miss our appointment. We were meeting a production assistant at 8 p.m. in front of the Colosseum so that she can introduce us to Celine. After a short visit of the Colosseum's backstage, we entered a lounge and I saw drinks and two show programs on a coffee table. My heart was beating wildly and I felt very emotional when Celine came into the room. Celine, who was wearing a gorgeous red dress, said a few words in English to us. Then, when we told her we were French, she was delighted to spend a moment with us and to speak French. After she signed a few items, we took pictures together and Celine told us the evening?s show meant a lot to her because her son was attending her show for the very first time. She was very nervous. Celine is really wonderful and my daughter and I will always remember this moment we spent with her.
The show was about to start and the production assistant escorted us to our seats. We were comfortably seated and we enjoyed every minute of this wonderful show. It's a spectacular show featuring extraordinary dancers, fantastic light effects and Celine performs her songs with professionalism, as her fans know. It was the first time I saw Celine on stage, I was impressed by her presence and her passion for music that she enjoys sharing with her audience. Everything is magic and Celine transports you to a world of dreams...
After the show, we went to the boutique and spent our $100 gift certificate. In our suitcases, we brought back t-shirts, shorts, key rings, photos, albums.
The day after, we were ready at 6.40 a.m. in front of the hotel to go for a day trip to the Grand Canyon. We took a taxi to the airport where we took a small plane with other tourists for a one-hour flight above the Grand Canyon. We looked down at an extraordinary landscape with an impressive variety of colours. The plane landed and we got on a helicopter for a forty-minute flight above a magnificent land. We continued our trip by car through the Grand Canyon National Park. We stopped along the way to take pictures and had a picnic at Grand Canyon Village. A little squirrel even shared our meal with us!
Later in the afternoon, we went to the airport and flew back to Vegas. Back at the hotel, we changed into our swimming suits and enjoyed the swimming pool at Caesars Palace.
For our last night in Las Vegas, we toured the city in a limousine. It was a Saturday night and the city was swarming with people. Like every night, the city was lit by millions of lights and people were coming to life around the game tables and slot machines.
The morning after, we were in the plane on our way back to Paris with wonderful memories in our heads. This trip will always be engraved in my memory and I thank TeamCeline for making a member's dream come true. This was unique and extraordinary experience! Thanks for everything.
Véronique"
