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E-Soft Yaal Express 2018
The Mighty Mini Club of Sri Lanka which is the premier Club that caters to MINI owners and enthusiasts in Sri Lanka, organized this unique event which saw 35 MINIs and some 135 Mighty Mini Club members, their Families & friends participate in the much awaited MINI Jaffna Adventure. The event activation started on the evening of 21st November when the 35 MINIs were loaded on to open flat bed carriages of a reserved train in Colombo. In the early hours of 22nd morning, the train carrying the 35 MINIs plus 135 passengers in 3 passenger compartments set off from Maradana Station, bound for Jaffna.
Aboard the train, all passengers enjoyed the fellowship and general MINI banter! The train reached Jaffna in the late evening, and after the MINIs were unloaded, as planned everyone checked in to two hotels close to the railway station. On the morning of 23rd, all the MINIs were lined up for a planned tour of Jaffna Peninsula. There was tremendous appreciation among the people in Jaffna peninsula, as indeed it was a very rare sight to see a procession of 35 MINIs touring.
The Tour took the MINIs through a route covering Point Pedro, KKS, Ariyalai, Nawakkulli, Kaithadi, Kopai, Point Pedro, VVT, KKS and on to Thalsevana for the lunch-break. En-route, the MINIs were given special permission to drive through the Army Camp where the soldiers and officers alike lined the streets and cheered the cars on. After lunch, the MINIs returned to Jaffna town via Dambakola Patuna, Kirimalai, Kadirigama Vihara, Hanuman Temple and Nallur Kovil. All along the way, people walked up to the cars and their owners, and requested their photos to be taken with the cars in the background.
The following day, the MINIs were taken to Jaffna Municipal grounds where a grand display was organized. In addition to the display of MINIs, there were stalls for sponsors including food stalls. The public were welcome and there was tremendous interest from people of all walks of life. The title sponsor for the event was E-Soft, and their brand ambassador Pooja Umashankar accompanied the members and friends on the trip on the train and during all activities involving the MINIs in Jaffna. At the display of MINIs too Pooja played a very active role and people flocked to talk to her, take photos with her and indeed admire the MINIs. A special event that took place at this venue was the distribution of tree-saplings to the general public of Jaffna. This was done as a CSR project, and also as a “save the environment” initiative and friendship gesture of the Club.
The MINIs were loaded back on to the train in Jaffna on the 24th evening, and the train travelled through the night and arrived in Colombo in the early hours of 25th November. The whole trip was conceptualized by President of the Mighty Mini Club, Nimal Gunaratne, and meticulously planned by the Club Committee. The event possibly achieved many “firsts” including the most number of one make vehicles ever carried on a train in Sri Lanka!
For further information about this event and about the Mighty Mini Club of Sri Lanka;
Please contact: Nimal Gunaratne (President) – 0777916618 or David Todd (Secretary) – 0714302659
