46th Charter Day Celebrations of the Rotaract Club of Colombo West was held on the 10th of August 2019 from 1.00pm onwards at the Royal College Union Skills Center, Colombo 08. All the West Family Rotaract Clubs and Interact Clubs got together to celebrate this occasion. The event started with a joint meeting with all five Rotaract Clubs; RAC Alumni Mora, RAC Mora, RAC ANC, and RAC NSBM joined hands with the Rotaract Club of Colombo West. 

The joint meeting of the West Charter Day was called to order by Rtr. Sahan Gunasekara, president of Rotaract Club of Colombo West and then the Rotaract formalities were carried out. Next, each club got the opportunity to briefly share the completed projects and the ones upcoming within the next month. RAC Colombo West briefed about projects “Green Isle”, “West Skate Day”, “West Paws” and “Apekshawa” while the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa briefed about the projects “Nena Aruna”, “Maestro” and “Hand in Hand”.  

Representing Alumni Mora, Rtr. Anju Cheran briefed about the project “Spick and Span” and Rtr. Tharindu about the project “Kindred Kidneys”. Rtr. Shenali explained about the IS initiatives planned by the club for the upcoming month.  

After the proceedings were handed over to Rotaract Club of NSBM, President Rtr. Ruvi and their members briefed their club projects like “Manusathkara”, “Project Aid” and the Mini Basketball Tournament organized by their club. Finally, the Rotaract Club of ANC briefed some of their club initiatives “Create in the Light of Site”, “Trivia Night” and “Smiles Beyond Boundaries” to the gathering. 

The icebreaking session during the meeting was a cheerful opening to more interactions between the members of the West Family. Finally, there was a briefing about the West Family projects done as joint projects. The projects like “Dream Cricket”, “West Blood Donation Camp” and “West Get-together” highlighted as the upcoming West family projects. All presidents at the head table discussed the importance of these projects in order to get a strong bond between all the clubs in the West Family.  

The event was more colorful with the participation of District Rotaract Representative Rtr. PP. Krishan Balaji and DRR Elect Rtr. PP. Kavinda Sigera. It is happy to note that representatives from all the Interacts clubs in the Rotary West family were present for this celebration. 

After the official meeting terminated for the fellowship, the most awaited event started. It was a Kahoot Quiz organized by the Rotaract Club of Colombo West. There were some interesting questions regarding Rotary, Rotaract and Interact. All members participated in this quiz and finally Rtr. Elon, the Club Service Director of Rotaract District Steering Committee won the quiz competition.  

We celebrated the 46th Birthday of the Rotaract Club of Colombo West with cake, which was cut by all the presidents of the West family. The day ended with a group photo followed by a small refreshment party arranged at the venue. These kinds of fellowship activities and events encourage to achieve the Rotary’s this year theme of “Rotary Connects the World”. 

By: Rtr. Hasitha Prashan

Run For Their Lives (RFTL) is an annual charity run organized by the Rotaract Club of Colombo Uptown with the aim of raising funds for the Apeksha Cancer Hospital, Maharagama. The primary objective is to make cancer awareness while enabling a platform for the public to contribute donations for those who have become victims of Cancer. Inaugurated in 2010 with the motto ‘No one fights Alone’, the eighth consecutive run took place on 10th of December 2017.

RFTL 2017 featured a 5.7 km course, which kick-started from the Racecourse, traversed through Reid Avenue, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Independence Avenue, Vidya Mawatha, Wijerama Mawatha, Maitland Crescent and returned to the starting point. In total, RFTL 2017 managed to raise a sum of Rs. 6,000,077 in aid of the Apeksha Hospital Maharagama.

More photographs: flicker

By Rtr. Himantha Alahakoon

HATTRICK  2018, organized collaboratively by Rotaract Club of Colombo Fort along with Interact Club of Zahira College was truly a memorable day for Rotaractors of Rotaract Club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa. Moors` sports club grounds, Colombo was set for the game on February 25th 2018. Two teams from Rotaract Alumni Mora (lead by Rtr. Isuru Ruhunage & Rtr. Dilanjan Kalindu) competed for the Men’s championship, while one team (lead by Rtr. Shanika Sandeepani) competed for the Women’s championship in the Rotaract league.

Both the men’s teams received byes in the first round. In the second round, the initial match for Team A was against RAC Colombo West. It was quite a close win for the team by just 3 runs. However the match for Team B was more challenging! The match was against RAC Achievers Lanka Business School team. Team B was presented with the daunting task of chasing 89 for victory within 20 balls. After a truly admirable exhibition from the opening batsmen Gayan Weerasinghe, the team managed to achieve the target with 2 balls to spare. Gayan scored an unbeaten match winning half century. Along with the unbeaten show of sportsmanship, ranked at first place, both teams moved to the semi finals of Men’s Rotaract League.

Moving onto the semifinals of the Rotaract League, team A first competed with RAC Colombo Mid City and won comprehensively. After a tight match, Team B managed to beat RAC KDU Team A by 4 runs.

To both the utter dismay (supporters were quite confused as to whom to support!) and ecstasy of the Alumni Mora supporters, the final of Rotaract League was between the Alumni Team A and Team B.

By the midday, the women’s teams were called to the ground. The women’s team of Alumni Mora played against the team representing the organizers. The match limited to 4 overs was easily won by the Alumni Mora women’s team while chasing a target of 17 runs in 16 balls to secure the Hattrick Women’s Championship.

In the Men’s Rotaract League final, Team A managed to beat Team B comprehensively, thereby reaching the cup finals of HATTRICK 2018. Winners of Interact League final, Interact Club of DS Senanayake College was to play with the Team A.

Before the final match, teams were introduced to the chief guest Rtn. Priyan Hettipathirana, who is the president of Rotary Club of Colombo Fort. Coincidentally, he was a past pupil of DS Senanayake College and a graduate of University of Moratuwa. More importantly, a charter Vice President of Rotaract Mora!

Winning the toss and batting first, DS scored 69 runs in allotted 5 overs (20 balls). With the fading light, chasing 70 runs in a tense final match was not easy. The Alumni team got to a bad start, losing two quick wickets within few runs due to the accurate bowling of the DS team. The unfortunate beginning was no significant downturn for Ashen Ekanayake and Tharuka Dilshan. Ashen and Tharuka steadied the innings, displaying some great hittings right out of the park. When both got out requiring 10 runs in the final over, it was upto Jawadh Salih and the President of Rotaract Alumni Mora, Himantha Alahakoon to take the team home. Jawadh hit the first ball to the boundary, leaving just 6 to get in 3 balls. Eventually 2 wide balls brought what was an emphatic win under fading light. The ultimate win was a moment unexpected due to the let down at the beginning as well as the simple fact that the youngsters from DS were practically speaking, better sportsmen. The moment of winning was truly magical to say the least. Everyone charged to the ground to celebrate the emphatic win.

Rotaract League Champions in both men’s and women’s categories and finally the Overall champions of Hattrick 2018, Rotaract Alumni Mora was ecstatic with the excitement. The awards ceremony concluded the event with chief guest Rtn. Priyan Hettipathirana handing over the trophies to the winning team of the championship as well as the leagues.

Each win saw the Rotaractors of the Alumni Mora running to the pitch in bliss and excitement of a truly important victory. Defeating a team with seasoned school cricketers at the final was a pleasant shock no less to the spectators as well as the team! Not getting demotivated against the odds were a show of good sportsmanship! As the president of Rotaract Alumni Mora, Rtr. Himantha Alahakoon mentioned at the conclusion, Hattrick 2018 will go down as one of the best moments in the sporting history of Rotaract Alumni Mora.

Br Rtr. Hansadi Jayamaha 

Are You Ready? 2017

Outside the Civil Auditorium, a promising drizzle was pouring to welcome the industry tycoons, HR delegates, and determined undergrads on the 2nd of November 2017, when the Flagship Day of  22nd Are You Ready? had commenced. Back in 1998, Are You Ready? was the Rotaract Mora’s new-born prodigy; started as a careers’ day to benefit the final year undergraduates to face interviews, which had won the award for the Best Professional Development project in RID 3220. Today, it is a fully-fledged careers’ development programme spanning on a two-week-long, six consecutive projects, culminating at the flagship juncture where the industry spots the gems, leaving only the Dining Etiquette & Grooming session to be completed.  

I was such a delegate from industry that day, as well as an Alumni of Rotaract Mora, looking proudly at the youngsters hosting such a gigantic event elegantly. Interviewers from more than sixty companies, 900+ wilful applicants, and hundred odd Rotaractors energetically awaited at the opening ceremony. Customarily, Vidya Jothi Prof. K.K.Y.W. Perera, the chancellor of University of Moratuwa graced the occasion as the chief guest.

As the formalities of the event progressed, my thoughts walked to the memory den, where I was a company coordinator inviting corporate representatives to participate in Are You Ready? 2012 and then the Almanac coordinator in 2013, shaping the pages of the official graduate directory. Back then in 2012, like how I guided the fourth year interviewees, I was guided for my Are You Ready? interviews in 2015. Like how I supported my panellists from industry, I was supported in 2017 by the Rotaractors.

As the interviews began, the clock ticked faster, leaving the interviewers a tough task to manage the time to meet all the early waiting candidates. Two of the senior managers representing my company, who also happened to be graduates from the University of Moratuwa, expressed their genuine excitement towards the talented & passionate undergraduates whom they had interviewed.  

A day full of energetic & inspiring conversations ended with resumes of prospective candidates. Company coordinators from Rotaract Mora handed over a token of appreciation bidding us farewell. The intense professionalism the organizers of Are You Ready? 2017 displayed throughout, made me realise the several months of day & night, sweat & blood they would have contributed to mark an event of this scale a success. In the end, ‘Are you Ready? 2017’ which truly merits a heartiest ‘Job Well done Rotaract Mora!’, walked into my memory den with a feeling of nostalgia.

By Rtr. Prabodha Chamarie