MAS Holdings and Royal College Union support ‘Trail 2016’

By Zahara Zuhair
MAS Holdings and Royal College Union (RCU) extended their financial support towards Trail 2016, contributing US $ 100,000 and Rs.50 million respectively.
Trail, a charity walk which brings communities across Sri Lanka together and raises funds in aid of cancer treatment, will begin on October 6th, walking from Jaffna to Matara with the goal of raising US $ 5 million to build a new cancer unit at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle.
The proposed building expects to give patients more ward space and other facilities including counselling rooms, rehabilitation and recreation facilities as well as new radiology and pathology labs.
The first walk which was from South to North raised US $ 2.6 million, resulting in opening of Tellippalai Trail Cancer Hospital in January 2014.
Talking about the initiative, Co-Founder Nathan Sivagananathan said that they wanted to recreate what they did in Jaffna, after making sure the first hospital is running well.
He said that the concept of this project is to bring the whole country together and make everyone participate for the project funding.
He said it also has become a public-private partnership as the government too lent their support towards the first project.
MAS Holdings Director Ajay Amalean, who came on board as the platinum sponsor said that when the organizers spoke  to them about the initiative  they had no hesitation in helping it as it is really for a good cause.
Mahela Jayawardene, one of the ambassadors of the project said that though cancer is curable many are not aware of it and, so it is important to make people aware of it.
He requested everyone to be a part of the initiative at least by participating in the walk, if they cannot help financially. 
The 670-kilometre walk will be divided in to 28 days. It was noted that the walkers could commit to walk the whole distance, part of the way or become a virtual walker depending on their ability.
The trail was initiated by Nathan Sivagananathan and Sarinda Unamboowe together with Colours of Courage Trust in 2011.
Pix by Nisal Baduge