The Lions Club of Senkadagala and the Bogambara Prison authorities recently joined hands for the second successive year to hold a Sri Lanka Inter-prison Volleyball Tournament. The Chief Jailor of the Bogambara Prison Lion Chandana Ekanayaka was the principal organizer of the event.

Lion Chandana Ekanayaka (Chief Jailor, Bogambara) welcomes the principal guests at the finals (from left) Mayor Lion L B Aluvihare, Chief Guest Mr. Sarath Ekanayaka (Chief Minister, Central Province), (second row) Mr.Gunerathne Kuruppuarch (Commissioner of Prisons), Lion Diresh Hettiarachchi, Mr. RMP Ddissanayeka (Secretary Central Provincial Council), and Mr. Nelson Abedweera (Superintendent of Prisons, Bogambara)		Chief guest at the opening ceremony Lion Shirley Jayawardena being conducted to the venue accompanied by (from left) Lion Tissa Jayasinghe (Assistant Superintendent, Pallekelle Open Prison), Lion Arooze Saleemdeen (President, Lion Club of Senkadagala), Lion Chinthaka Wijesuriya (Lions Zone Chairman), and Mr. Nelson Abeydeera (Superintendent of Prisons, Bogambara), Lion M Sivaraj and Lion Lady Priyangi Ekanayaka.

The chief guest at the opening ceremony Region Chairperson of Lions International District 306C1 Region 5 Lion Shirley Jayawardena addressing the gathering noted that the Lions were very pleased to sponsor an event that would provide the prison inmates an opportunity to show their sporting prowess and also bring them into closer contact with the outside society. Lion Chandana Ekanayaka noted that this event should be regarded as an important step towards rehabilitation of inmates to enable them to return to society as useful citizens.

The volleyball tournament that was conducted over two days on a knockout basis attracted 21 teams from 20 prisons. The semi finals were played between Bogambara A and Bogambara B team. The finals saw a closely contested match between the two Bogambara teams that the senior team from Bogambara won.

The finals between "Bogambara" and "Bogambara A" that the former won.		Inmates display their talents at the at the variety entertainment.

The finals were conducted under the distinguished patronage of the Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayaka as the chief guest and Lions International District 306C1 District Secretary Lion Diresh Hettiarachchi and Commissioner of Prisons Gunerathne Kuruppuarachi as the gusts of honour. Mr. Ekanayaka congratulated the inmates for the skill and talent that they displayed in volleyball as well as in the variety entertainment that followed the finals. Lion Hettiarachchi said that the Lions look forward to working with the prison authorities and inmates in future as well to assist in the rehabilitation process. Prisons Commissioner G Kuruppuarachi remarked that the prison authorities made their best possible effort to help the inmates not to return to prison after they were released.

Lions and ICES Join Kandy Mayor Aluvihare to Supply Relief to War Refugees

The Lions Clubs of Senkadagala, Kandy, Peradeniya and Dumbara and the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Kandy joined hands to supply over Rs 150,000 worth of food items and dry goods to people displaced by the war in the Eastern Province. Lions K A Dinapala and M A Gunatilaka made substantial personal donations towards the effort.

Mayor L B Aluvihare who is a senior member and a past president of the Lions Club of Senkadagala sent supplies worth over Rs 1.0 million contributed by the Kandy community for the benefit of the displaced families.

The Lions Club of Kandy successfully completed a full day health camp recently that assisted almost 300 residents of the Imbulpitiya Estate and Bawwagama village in Nawalapitiya. Four doctors assisted by sixteen Lions and Lion Ladies and twelve others were in attendance. The Lions distributed Rs 23,000 worth of medicines to the patients. Kandy Lions president Lion Engineer “Mac” Perera with the cooperation of the manager of the Imbulpitiya estate Dareled Dharmarajah organized the camp.