Charity Concerts in aid of various organizations

When I came up to the Northern Territory from Melbourne, 1999, I had organized and directed a total of ten charity musical nights in Melbourne in aid of embattled Asian hospitals,  injured Lankan soldiers and temples. I had been successful in raising (in Melbourne) more than AUD $20,000.00 for hospitals, orphanages, temples and injured soldiers in Sri Lanka through my cultural concerts.

Brief Details of Charity Concerts and other voluntary community musical performances in the NT

Up in the NT, I organized and directed six multicultural charity concerts, (within three years) in aid of the Sri Lankan Cancer hospital, as well as Katherine RED CROSS, the NT Cancer Council, the AUSCARE refugees and the NT Heart Foundation. I have also played music, sung and participated in and supported the International Buddhist Temple’s (in Leanyer, NT) cultural nights to assist the temple in their fund raising efforts. As a musician in Darwin, I have provided and directed music for various multicultural organisations on their annual festive nights. I have played music and sung in several languages at many cultural nights in Darwin, including, The Sri Lankan New Year Celebrations, the India Nights at Mindil Beach, the Filipino Nights, the Police Ethnic Advisory Group functions, Harmony Day Celebrations, and Greek Festivals.

I was successful in raising a substantial amount of money through a concert in remote Katherine in aid of the Katherine RED CROSS in Aug. 2000. In addition, in the Northern Territory alone, I have raised over

• $ 2,500.00 in aid of the Cancer Hospital in Colombo – May, 2000.
• $ 1300.00 again in aid of the Cancer Hospital in Colombo – March, 2001
• $1200.00 in aid of the NT Cancer Council – August, 2001
• $ 1230.00 in aid of the NT Heart Foundation – August, 2002

I was also the Director of the Safety & Freedom Concert in aid of Refugees in October 2001. The Concert was sponsored by the Darwin City Council.

My significant venture in 2002, (other than the concert in aid of the Heart Foundation) was the pioneering of the Australian Multicultural Arts and Welfare Association Inc. in Darwin of which I am the Founder-President and Public Officer. The Association consists of representatives from a variety of community groups. They are Chinese, Sri Lankan, Indian, Malaysian, Timorese, Indonesian, British and Anglo Australian.

I have so far succeeded in raising over AUD $ 10,000.00 for the Sri Lankan Cancer Hospital alone, through three concerts (one in Melbourne and 2 in Darwin). I was successful in creating an awareness in the Sri Lankans in Melbourne about the dire necessities of the Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka and managed to collect goodies (thousands of ) – disposable syringes, cartons of apple juice, items of dried foods, clothes, and toys for the sick children of the Cancer Hospital in Colombo.

More Photos & Information on the concerts

Voluntary work

My work involves:

• Regularly financing the charitable projects of the Prashkthi Women’s Association of Sri Lanka which assists very poor cancer patients to get to hospital for treatment.
• Organizing and offering free music classes to children of poor and/or dysfunctional families in Melbourne/ Darwin.
• Working as Translator and Interpreter free of charge for many Sinhalese who come to Melbourne as refugees and need help.
• Conducting of free English classes for the monks of the Buddhist Temple in Melbourne.
• Working as voluntary announcer on 3ZZZ Multicultural Radio.
• Playing music to entertain the Senior citizens (some were sick and some were very old) every 4th Sunday at their luncheon organized by the Sinhala Cultural Foundation in Melbourne.
• Training the students of the Buddhism classes of the International Buddhist Temple in the NT to perform for the Buddhist (Wesak) festival 2001.
• Supporting the fund raising activities of the NT International Buddhist Temple in Leanyer by singing, playing music, and organizing multicultural performances, April, 2002.