Celebrities galore at D 3231 conference

Bifurcated from D 3230, D 3231 hosted its first District Conference recently. It had an attendance of over 3,500 Rotarians. PDG Siri Eiamchamroonrp from D 3340, ­Thailand was the RI President’s Representative. Conference Chair M ­Srinivasan and PDG SvRm ­Ramanathan (D3232) worked hard to transform a thorny field at Ambalal Greenfield in Vellore into a 1,00,000 sq ft lavish, fully air-conditioned auditorium.

The venue was designed to look like a palace; the entire set took six months, 250 artisans from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi and ₹ 2.25 crore to be completed, said Srinivasan. He added, “We could have easily chosen a hotel or any other readymade venue. But we wanted the event to be memorable.” Sangeet, the dance show, exclusively performed by 300 Anns and Annets was a big hit. Guest speakers such as Mahatria Ra, Jayanthasri Balakrishnan, ­Anbumani Ramdoss and Tamil film director ­Bharathiraja spoke about service and women’s empowerment and thanked Rotary for the good work it is doing.

The Abirami Awards, sponsored by Abirami Mega Mall, celebrated and honoured the work of Tamil artists from the entertainment industry, taking into account the entertainment quotient they provided. The event was attended by actors Prabhu, Sai ­Dhanshika (­Kabali fame), ­Sharatkumar and Radhika. “The celebrities entertained us; the audience lapped it up and the show went on till the wee hours,” said Srinivasan.

Apart from planting 25,000 seed balls, conducting medical camps and creating awareness on AIDS, cancer and dengue, D 3231 is also funding the construction of 164 homes for the Narikuravars (gypsies) in Ambur and Kallikupam villages on the outskirts of Chennai. Each home is of 300 sq ft and includes a bedroom, hall, kitchen and a toilet and costs ₹ 3 lakh. “We don’t just spend money on events. Our projects are proof that we carry class in everything we do,” he said, adding that “we have set ourselves a benchmark and hope to be able to keep it in the years to come.”

Thanking his core team for the success of the conference, DG ­Jawarilal Jain said, “Without their support and all the hard work, this would have never been possible.”