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The Galle Face Hotel, which opened in 1864 and is one of the oldest hotels east of Suez, has joined hands with Ebert Silva Holidays, Sri Lanka’s pioneering travel and tourism company, to celebrate World Children’s Day and bring joy and happiness to 100 under-privileged local children.

This year’s celebration invited 50 children from The School for the Deaf in Ratmalana and 50 kids from Madduma Bandara Vidyalaya School in Kandy for a wonderfully entertaining day of sightseeing and activities in Colombo courtesy of Ebert Silva Holidays, plus food, special treats and games at the luxurious Galle Face Hotel.

This meaningful initiative took place on 7th October 2018 and marked the fourth consecutive year that Galle Face Hotel and Ebert Silva Holidays have come together for World Children’s Day.

Robert C. Hauck, General Manager and Area Vice President of the Galle Face Hotel, commented; “As a proud family-owned hotel with a rich heritage, we have a deep and lasting commitment to the welfare and development of young people in Sri Lankan. The Galle Face Hotel regularly engages in CSR activities that benefit local communities, so we were thrilled to join hands with Ebert Silva Holidays once again to host the World Children’s Day activities. By interacting with the children during the day, it is clear that activities such as these have the ability to make a positive difference, bringing renewed hope and joy into young lives.”

Rajini de Silva Mendis, chairperson of Ebert Silva Holidays, added that she was delighted to partner with the Galle Face Hotel for such a worthwhile CSR initiative. “Once again we gave these children a most splendid, fun-filled day out. This is a day we eagerly look forward to every year; a day celebrated with deserving children who are the future of Sri Lanka. Great effort was taken to design the day’s celebrations as we wanted to give a lasting positive experience, with inspiration and motivation to enable these children to dream big and set their goals high. We, as responsible entities, have joined hands to convey the love and care the society has for the children with the sincere wish of seeing them become responsible citizens.”

The 50 children from Madduma Bandara Vidyalaya School arrived by train from Kandy to Colombo’s Fort Railway Station. For many of them it was their first time visiting Sri Lanka’s capital city. Upon arrival they were met by Ebert Silva Holidays and welcomed onboard brightly decorated open-top double-decker buses, which took them to the Galle Face Hotel. Here, they were joined by the children from The School for the Deaf in Ratmalana. After enjoying delectable morning treats they set off for a memorable open-top bus ride around Colombo, including educational commentaries on the city’s history and monuments.

The city tour ended at the Port of Colombo, where the children were shown around the new developments of the port and harbour, courtesy of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The Sri Lanka Navy also extended the rare opportunity to board its largest and latest vessel, SLNS Sindurala, giving the kids an educational tour of the ship and an insight into its features and functions. The children then returned to the Galle Face Hotel for a scrumptious five-star lunch.

The highlight of the day was still to come however, as the children were transported to Bandaranaike International Airport for a private tour of a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330 aircraft, courtesy of SriLankan Airlines Engineering. Thrilled and fascinated by this state-of-the-art aircraft, the children were shown around the jet, given an onboard motivational talk and an insight into the history of aviation.

The World Children’s Day activities concluded with a delicious tea party at the Galle Face Hotel, featuring an array of tempting treats, gifts, music and dancing, as the 100 children celebrated one of the most memorable days of their lives.