Maryland Sri Lankans donate Rs. 5.2 m for Cyclone Ditwah relief

The Sri Lankan community in Maryland, United States, has donated a further Rs. 5.2 million to the Government’s Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund, supporting efforts to restore the lives of people affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

The donation, amounting to US$ 17,000, was collected through financial contributions from Sri Lankan organizations, associations and devotees attached to the Maryland International Buddhist Temple. The funds were officially handed over to Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, by Venerable Katugasthota Uparathana Nayaka Thero at the temple on January 23.

The initiative was carried out under the guidance of Venerable Katugasthota Uparathana Nayaka Thera, Chief Judicial Sanghanayake of the United States and Incumbent of the Maryland International Buddhist Temple, who also serves as Chairman of the Uparathana Paramita Foundation.

Addressing the gathering, Venerable Uparathana Thera expressed his appreciation to all contributors for standing in solidarity with those affected in Sri Lanka, noting the strong sense of responsibility shown by the Sri Lankan community abroad towards their homeland.

Ambassador Samarasinghe thanked the donors and said the Government of Sri Lanka highly valued the collective effort of the Maryland-based Sri Lankan community and the Maryland International Buddhist Temple, united under a common humanitarian objective. He also recalled the long-standing social and community service rendered by Venerable Uparathana Thero in the United States, describing him as a trusted figure within the Sri Lankan diaspora.

The event was attended by Deputy Ambassador Maduka Wickramarachchi and representatives of several Sri Lankan organizations based in Maryland.