Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Tuesday, 15 October 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
SriLankan Cares, the CSR arm of SriLankan Airlines, collaborated with Galle Face Hotel and Ebert Silva Holidays to celebrate World Children’s Day on 1 October with more than 100 children of Katuwapitiya in Negombo who were directly affected by the devastating Easter Sunday bombings.
The three leading corporate organisations, which often work in partnership for the benefit of society, provided 115 children with a full day of educational entertainment and awareness of the hospitality industry. The objective of the day out was to inspire the young ones with new knowledge on the tourism and hospitality industry, providing them with a holistic educational experience combined with an element of fun.
SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Vipula Gunatilleka said: “This program objectifies the importance of children’s education, and affirms that corporates should keep inspiring the younger generation to pursue various trades in their future, encouraging them to learn further about the diverse paths open to them. This celebration was also a truly valuable moment for SriLankan Airlines as a company committed to the uplifting of children.”
The children gathered in the Katuwapitiya Church and were taken to Bandaranaike International Airport where they were given a familiarisation tour all around the airport premises. They were then taken aboard an Airbus A330 aircraft and served a delicious meal on board. The children then hopped on to three of Ebert Silva Holidays’ famed red open-deck double-decker busses and enjoyed an exciting ride witnessing the city of Colombo and its latest developments before they arrived at the Galle Face Hotel for lunch and a special entertainment program.
Ebert Silva Holidays Chairperson Rajini de Silva Mendis said: “We are delighted to have come together in a cherished annual event of our company, to offer children, the future pillars of the nation, a splendid experience that gives confidence and motivation to dream big and set their goals high, with the sincere hope of seeing them as responsible and worthy citizens of our motherland.”
The children were taken on a tour of the hotel and its history, giving them the opportunity to witness the hospitality industry, and then given the signature Galle Face Hotel lunch topped off with a music and dance performance, before heading out for a special tour to see the latest developments of the Colombo Port with a glimpse into the Colombo Port City courtesy of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
Galle Face Hotel Group Chairman Sanjeev Gardiner, at this unique initiative to celebrate World Children’s Day on the theme ‘Empowering Children for the Nation’s Future’, said: “We are privileged to be a part of events such as these and we look forward to Children’s Day every year. It gives us the opportunity to inspire these children to do better and grow in life. It is also the unforgettable moments we make with them that makes occasions like these exceptional.”
The children also experienced a tour of a large modern warship ‘SLNS Gajabahu’ by courtesy of the Sri Lanka Navy, after which they returned home to Katuwapitiya.
