People spend most weekends visiting exhibitions and discount sales to buy, but this exhibition at Sarojini Nataraj auditorium they are visiting, is not to buy, but to give what they can to the service organisations that have put up stalls.
N. Subramanian, a businessman who visited ‘Aram Seyya Virumbu’, the flagship exhibition of the ‘Joy of Giving Week’, organised by Rotary Coimbatore Central, here on Saturday, made a donation to the Thozhar Trust.
“I wanted to make a contribution and chose this organisation because they are doing something unique by ensuring a dignified burial for the homeless, orphaned and poor,” he says. There are many like him who are visiting the stalls, but choosing to give in various forms – cash, kind, organs, blood, time, etc. There are nearly 20 service organisations showcasing their work. It is a one-stop shop for those who always wanted to be philanthropic but did not know how to. The event is on till Sunday evening. The ‘Joy of Giving Week’ that took off on Gandhi Jayanthi would go on till October 8 to be observed as a week-long celebration of giving. The festival thrives on the efforts of volunteers and focuses on the spirit of giving, and is considered as an opportunity to give back to society.
Public, visiting the stalls can choose from causes such as women’s welfare, environment, sanitation, healthcare, education, rural development, child welfare, physically and mentally challenged children, and senior citizen welfare, to donate. Those wishing to donate at a later date can register their names with the organisation of their choice. There were many examples of ‘giving’ at the venue on Saturday. Sankara Eye Centre was conducting a free eye screening camp for auto drivers. The hospital planned to screen at least 5,000 in the next 20 days on their premises. The cost of spectacles for first 2,000 drivers would be borne by Rotary Coimbatore Central.
School children of Maharishi Vidya Mandir took special children of Amar Seva Sangam from Ayikudi, near Tenkasi, for a lunch and outing. The organisers have printed a booklet containing the names of the participating organisations, along with the contact address and phone numbers, for use by visitors.
