APIIT's show for Hope
By Sonnet
Inspired by the initiative taken by the Sri Lankan cricketers, and motivated by their social consciousness, the students of Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) have stepped forward to help raise funds for the Hope Cancer Hospital. With the same hands that applaud their achievements on the field, these students of Information Technology and Business Studies have been working hard during the past weeks to help the cause of their cricketers to build Hope.

Hope Rocks, a musical extravaganza organised by them, promises to be "a different experience" altogether when it takes stage at the western garden of the BMICH on Saturday, August 31 from 8.00 p.m. onwards.

The students of APIIT Lanka say that their main objective in executing this project is to help make the Hope Cancer Hospital a reality. "We believe that each individual has the power to change and save another life, and that is what we are trying to harness. That is the message we want to spread," says the project chairman Shazan Rali.

Wildfire will be the band that will keep you on your toes through the night with the unique blend of music that they have formulated especially for Hope Rocks. It will be the first in a string of special concerts that the popular rock band will feature in the coming months. That is not all! The organisers have some exciting surprises bound to sweep you off your feet! It will stimulate all five senses and refresh your body, mind and soul; and that is a promise.

The stage is set to make next Saturday one that will be remembered for a long time to come. The co-ordinators have given a lot of thought in their efforts to create the perfect atmosphere where entertainment will blend in with the theme of love and caring that they want to highlight.

"We should not forget after all, that we will be gathering in a spirit of brotherhood to support a very timely cause," they point out. All they want to do is to sculpt a moment in time where a whole nation that is divided along many communal lines would join hands and stand together as one, inspired by one cause.

Cancer itself is now spreading 'like a cancer' and even though it has become a threat to each one of us, it is still taken for granted by many who are ignorant of its consequences. In fact, the website of the Hope Cancer Society frighteningly proclaims that "Every Sri Lankan knows someone who has or has died of cancer".

The students of APIIT invite all of you to take part in Hope Rocks and show your support for the Hope Cancer Hospital. It is an open invitation to all Sri Lankans to contribute towards making the dreams of all those helpless victims and their families become a reality.

Tickets priced at Rs. 250 will be available at Majestic City, Crescat Boulevard, Clancy's, Eureka, Hameedias, APIIT Lanka (Access Towers) and at the gate. Media support for Hope Rocks is provided by The Sunday Times, ETV and advertising agency Phoenix Ogilvy. All the proceeds of this event will be donated to the Hope Cancer Hospital project.

Need for the Hope Cancer Hospital
Young Dhisal was diagnosed with cancer. The news left a family in shock and with the passing of each day; they realised the gruesome nature of this deadly decease. There was very little they could do as they helplessly watched their beloved son and brother suffering. As time went by, Dhisal's condition deteriorated and his family realised how powerless they were in their fight against cancer. Their helplessness reflected the vulnerability of millions of others in this country who were faced with the same dreadful reality.

Unfortunately, the Maharagama cancer hospital, the country's only fully-fledged national cancer hospital, lacks most of the necessary facilities as well as the capacity to treat the growing number of cancer patients in the country.

As a result of this, thousands of people die from cancers that are curable if the proper facilities were available. As much as one in every 10 Sri Lankan deaths is caused by cancer but this need not be so.

Despite the fact that Dhisal was taken abroad for treatment, he succumbed to this fatal disease six years ago. But his memory inspired his brother Mahela Jayawardena and his family to join hands with Sri Lanka's cancer victims in their battle against cancer. Today, the Sri Lanka cricket team has combined their might with their colleague's efforts to build a fully equipped cancer hospital - Hope.

The Sri Lanka Cricketers Association and the Lions Club of Colombo Somerset are the main sponsors of this project. The land has been provided by the Health Ministry of Sri Lanka while the cricketers are helping raise funds for the building's construction.

Once complete, it will be handed over to the Ministry of Health.

The entire costs of the project reach an estimated figure of Rs 750 million. That's why they are appealing for public help; because they cannot do this alone. We will all have to join hands as one nation to build Hope.

Hope Rocks winners
The most common type of cancer in Sri Lanka is lung cancer. Latest research has revealed smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer may also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented. 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are proven cancer-causing substances. Smoking cigars or pipes could make you three times more likely to get lung cancer.

And here are the winners of the Hope Rocks quiz of August 18.

Vasantha Sirimanne - Gampaha
Ravin Navarathne - Kadawatha
Sheril Perera - Malabe
(Please collect your prize of two tickets to Hope Rocks from APIIT Lanka, Access Towers, Union Place, Colombo 2)

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