Orphans' day out in Mangalore

About 604 children took part in various sports, cultural activities

They played, sang, danced, teased and had a lot of fun forgetting all the sorrows for one day. Competing with one another brought back the childhood most of them have missed. Ultimately it was all about bringing a smile on their faces as well as others.

The 12th annual orphanage olympics organised by the Rotary Club of Mangalore Central at the Canara Girls High School premises offered a gala time to the inmates of the 9 orphanages in and around Mangalore city.

As many as 604 children participated in the programme this year in various sports, games and cultural activities.

The Orpahanage Olympics was inaugurated by General Manager of Corporation Bank B R Bhat earlier in the morning. Chief Operating Officer of Managlore Special Economic Zone A G Pai was the chief guest on the occaion. The morning session was devoted to sports and games competitions chosen based on demand while the afternoon was for cultural programmes.

Every orphanage is given 15 minutes to present the cultural programmes of their choice.

Rs 3 lakh expenditure

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Chairman of the organising committe Dr B Devdas Rai informed that more than three lakh rupees is spent on the programme every year.
The fund is collected from members of the club as well as through sponsorship.
The children are picked from the respective orphanages in the morning and brought to the venue where they are served breakfast, lunch and snacks. The winners of the competitions get special prizes.

Besides, each child is given a kit which contains necessary articles like, tooth brush, soap, pens, books, pencils and so on. Also each orphanage gets a kit that contains 25 kg rice, tea powder and food items.

The money remaining after all this is used to buy other necessary articles like heaters for the orphanages, he added.
Dr Rai also informed that Rotary has recieved an award for best community service in 1996-97 for this project.

The prize distribution ceremony was held in the evening in which Rotary District Governor elect Jnana Vasanth Shetty was the chief guest.

Assistant Governor Isaac Vaz was the guest of honour.

The overall trophy was clinched by St Aloysian Boys Home in Kotekar while Bala Samrakshana Kendra in Kutarpadavu turned out the runners up.