’96 cricket teams reunite to aid children’s education

By Rashika Fazali

Celebrating 50 years of the ever-popular brand Baby Cheramy, Baby Cheramy in collaboration with the Department of Probation and Childcare under the Big Heart Project is set to hold a unique fund-raising Twenty-20 cricket match on Saturday (12) that will feature the 1996 World Cup Champions who will reunite after 17 years.

The aim of such a cricket match is to create and make awareness that children in Sri Lanka need education.

The Twenty-20 cricket match will feature the 1996 winning cricket team consisting of Captain Arjun Ranatunga, Aravinda De Silva, Sananth Jayasuriya, Asanka Gurusinghe, Hashan Tilakaratne, Roshan Mahanama, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Muttiah Muralitharan who will play against a team of legendary national cricketers.

The opposing team will consist of Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Graeme Labrooy, Sidath Wettimuny, Brendon Kuruppu, Kapila Wijegunawardena, Hemantha Wickramaratne, Asoka de Silva, Hemantha Devapriya, Ranjith Madurasinghe, Sanjeewa Weerasinghe and Eric Upashantha.

The Big Heart Project aims to make awareness and fund the education of underprivileged children in Sri Lanka under the education aid programme, Nena Diriya of the Department of Probation and Childcare.

Speaking at a press conference held at The Kingsbury, Hemas Holdings CEO Husein Esufally stated: “We have being providing love and comfort for over 50 years and we have being finding ways to celebrate this achievement. We want to help and support these students who drop out of their school.”

Big Heart Project Ambassador Roshan Mahanama commented: “I am humbled to champion a cause that will help build a generation of children in Sri Lanka, who will be exposed to the benefits of education. The Big Heart Project is an initiative that will propel the future of many young children and I invite all Sri Lankans to gather and support us as we bat onto win Sri Lanka’s children their education.”

Ranatunga also speaking at the conference added: “We understand the value of education and I think it’s time we give back to the society.”

Currently the Big Heart Project is raising funds through the Big Heart Truck Activation program which will run all over the nation until 31 March. Simultaneously, they are also set to provide five years of education for 50 children where they will each receive Rs. 2000 per month, accumulating to a total of Rs. 5.1 million.