The Sri Lanka Project was founded in response to the Tsunami of 2004 which devastated large areas of Sri Lanka. Many Sri Lankan families lost loved ones on that terrible day and in some coastal areas abandoned buildings can still be found. Our school and the city of Hamburg teamed up to rebuild five kindergartens/preschools in the hardest hit southern provinces and these are the schools that our students continue to support and visit to this day.
Throughout the year Grade 9 and 10 students are involved in a number of fundraising activities to raise money for our schools in Sri Lanka. Bake sales, Junior School dances, plastic bottle recycling, children’s activities for the International Fair are just a few of the activities students of the Sri Lanka Project will take part in throughout the school year.
Our first fundraiser of the school year is the Sri Lanka Cup - ISH Charity Golf Tournament, which takes place on a Sunday in September. The tournament is designed to be a fun day for all levels and we play a “best ball” or Texas Scramble in teams of 4. This is our major fundraiser of the year and the only activity where we also appeal to parents to support us with taking part in the tournament and/or by donating items for our Tombola. This can take the form of vouchers for restaurants, corporate gifts, wine etc. Our school community has been very generous in past years and we hope that this continues.
During the Easter school break, a number of our students are given an opportunity to visit Sri Lanka and the schools we support. Students get to interact with children, get a taste of the local culture through activities and travel, and they can see first-hand the impact their fundraising efforts have on those who need it most. Many of our students return from the trip with a new appreciation for others.
For more information, please contact
Patricia Hayward
Sri Lanka Project Coordinator
phayward@ishamburg.org
