Swedish Rotary gifts 400 wheel chairs

Three hundred and fifty wheel chairs for disabled persons out of the 400 wheel chairs donated by Waxholm Rotary Club of Sweden were distributed to disabled individuals and Army personnel by the Rotary Club Metropolitan of Kandy. The remaining 50 wheel chairs of the Swedish donation are to be handed over to disabled people in the Northern an dEastern Provinces.

The wheel chairs cost about four million Rupees. Speaking during the ceremony Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said the Provincial Council would always help social welfare organizations which worked for the people and tried to uplift their standards.

Rotary Club Metropolitan president Joe Paiva said his organization had negotiated with the Swedish Club and was able to get these 400 wheel chairs for people who needed them to go about their daily work.

Mayor L.B.Aluvihare who participated in the ceremony said clubs in Kandy should make every effort to help people, where the Municipality was unable to extend its services due to various difficulties and added the Council would help them in any way possible.

Rotary Club community services directors Timothy Paldano, Ajith Naranpanawa and Indira Wijetilleke coordinated the event. According to Rotarian Ms. Wijetilleke, these wheel chairs were gifted to the most deserving persons, who would have not been able to purchase one in their lifetime. Past Rotary Club president D.Sivasubramaniam was also present on the occasion.