24 September 2014 05:58 am
The Sri Lanka Light Infantry of the Sri Lanka Army has lost over 3,800 personnel to the war on terror with over 4,000 others being rendered permanently disabled due to their battlefield wounds. Expressing a deep sense of respect and gratitude to these brave souls, who have sacrificed life and limb for the nation, Mahapola Lotto joined hands with the Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment to raise funds for fallen war heroes of the regiment.
In this regard, Mahapola Lotto offered its support as the main sponsor of Pabala Mela 2014 – a grand carnival and trade exhibition – to be held from December 19 to 23, 2014, at the Public Grounds in Hikkaduwa.
Speaking at the event, Sri Lanka Light Infantry Colonel Major General Amal Karunasekara said, “While a three-decade long civil war has come to an end, we shouldn’t forget the brave young men and women who have made great sacrifices to make this possible. I’m delighted to see Mahapola Lotto, a lottery which was created to augment funding for higher education, offering its assistance to the nation’s war heroes. I would like to thank them for supporting our efforts to generate funds for our fallen and wounded comrades through their sponsorship of PabalaMela 2014.”
All revenue generated from the event is to be utilized for the completion of the special monument being constructed as a tribute to the fallen war heroes of the regiment who made the supreme sacrifice for the country. Part of the proceeds will also be used to uplift much-needed welfare facilities for officers and soldiers who were disabled during the humanitarian operations conducted to defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka. Displaying their varied talents at the event, Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment expects to draw huge crowds to Pabala Mela 2014. The carnival also includes several other entertaining elements such as games, rides and musical shows.