Making Their Dreams Real

As told by

Rtr. Sohan Madusanka,

Looking back at the roots of human history, sports were designed as methods to keep people active, entertained and happy. On the other hand, cricket is one of the most challenging sports out there, as it requires a multitude of different skills, physically and mentally. Combining this challenging nature of cricket with the core values of sports, “Dream Cricket” is a community service initiative which focuses on differently abled children and carried out by the Rotary club of Colombo West in partnership with Sir Donald Bradman Foundation and Movement Disorder Foundation in Australia.

Dream Cricket day consists of different activities which are all based on cricketing skills such as batting, bowling, catching and throwing. Each of the activities is specifically designed to enhance the reflex time, concentration and hand-eye coordination of differently abled children. Activities were set up by the enthusiastic, young Rotaractors of University of Moratuwa, as we were tasked with the handling of events on that day. Special equipment required for the activities were provided by Mr. Rick McCarthy who was the representative of the Bradman Foundation. He became a great asset throughout the day with his vast experience and knowledge of working with differently abled children.

The session ran from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., starting from individual activities and ending with an actual cricket match…! It was a demanding and exhausting day of work for all the Rotaractors, Rotarians and the care takers. But all that sweat and effort felt worth it as the award ceremony began. Seeing the sincere smiles and the genuine happiness on their faces, as they were awarded with gifts and medals, we came to the realization that it was a dream come into life for all of them.

The Rotaract Clubs of Alumni of University of Moratuwa, American National College, Colombo West, National School of Business Management and University of Moratuwa, worked hand in hand to make this amazing event a reality, under the guidance and sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Colombo West.