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| DILMAH TEA AND THE SRI LANKA CRICKET TEAM COMBINE FORCES TO BRING A SMILE TO THE UNDERPRIVILEGED |
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A joint effort of the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation, and Dilmah Tea, sponsor of the Sri Lankan cricket team, the bats were secured by the Foundation and individually autographed by the Sri Lanka Test team to South Africa in 2002, the Sourav Ganguly led Indians for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, eleven former international cricketers, and Steve Waugh’s champion Test team who were in Colombo last year to play a Test against Pakistan.
The Australian offering appeared to hold the greatest historical value, as it was the last series that Mark Waugh featured in for Australia, though the Indian bat had an unparalleled market audience. The Indian bat fetched an impressive US$ 1500 while the Aussie bat was not far behind with a selling price of more than US$ 1100. The bat featuring the former Internationals included the original autographs of legendary cricketers like Clive Lloyd, Tony Greig, and Barry Richards amongst others.
The purpose of the event was to bring through sport, hope and sunshine to the lives of underprivileged children who have been marginalized by society. Approximately one hundred boys aged 10–12 years were selected to participate. They were brought to the P. Sara Stadium from orphanages in Colombo and from four Dilmah Tea Estates (Kahawatte Group) in the Ratnapura district, an area that was seriously affected by floods a few months ago. The children of tea plantation workers, many of these kids had never been to Colombo, the capital city, and indeed this was the first time in their lives that they set eyes on the ocean.
The events of the day commenced with a series of softball mini-cricket matches. The boys were organised into teams, with each team being identified by brightly coloured cricket shirts. Four matches were played simultaneously under the supervision of a team of 14 experienced mini-cricket managers and umpires. With the game of cricket having captured the imagination of Sri Lankans in all walks of life, from cities to the country, it was not surprising to see many of the boys display tremendous natural talent and a flair for the game.
Additionally, the boys had a chance of a lifetime when they met their heroes - members of the Sri Lanka National Team. The young boys donned replica Sri Lankan One Day International shirts, and warmly applauded their cricketing role models. The cricketers shook hands with each of the boys, and then posed for an informal group photograph with them.
The obliging Sri Lankan cricketers autographed six cricket shirts, which will be displayed in the schools of each of the six locations that the boys came from. Each school also received items varying from furniture to shoes.
The event would not have been possible without the involvement and support of the Sri Lanka cricketers whose presence is gratefully acknowledged. The trustees of the Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation also express their appreciation for the support of the Tamil Union Cricket Club, which provided the P. Sara Stadium and facilities free of charge, Vilka Designs for donating Cricket Shirts and Sprout Water for ensuring that no one suffered from dehydration!
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