R. Shanmugapriya, a standard IX student animatedly explained, through actions, how she had just enjoyed watching a film as she happily ate lunch at a star hotel. She was one among the 142 hearing and speech impaired children from four special schools in the city who were taken for a 5D animated film and later to a lunch at a star hotel here on Tuesday.
It did not need a sign language expert to explain how the film that depicted a Tsunami disaster terrified her as the water rose high and the buildings crashed, that too with 5D effect. It did not in the least seem that she missed out on any of the effects because she could not hear the sounds.
When Lead India 2020 Foundation wanted to celebrate the 83 birthday of former President of India and Chief Mentor of the Foundation A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, it could not think of a better way than taking these children out for a day. And, this is not the first time it is doing this.
Last year nearly 150 differently-abled children got to watch a movie and enjoy lunch.
And, helping the Foundation in making the day of children special, were many like-minded individuals and organisations. PIX 5D Cinema sponsored five shows of a film for the children, Vivanta by Taj-Surya sponsored the lunch, and SNR & Sons’ Charities took care of the transportation.
Personnel of R.S. Puram B-2 Police Station ensured that the children had a safe right of passage to the Brookefields Mall and later to the hotel.
The children were from Corporation School for Deaf, Indian Red Cross School, Infant Jesus Convent, and Kasturba Gandhi Oral School for the Hearing Impaired
It did not stop with this. The day was made even more special by the presence of many Government officials, including heads of the local Army, Air Force and Navy units, who took time from their schedules to have lunch with the children.
The hotel had ensured that it served simple fare that was relished by the children. The paratha-kurma was hugely liked, besides the moong dal halwa and of course ice cream.
Children were made to feel special on their special day out.
