Another year, another victory!
At the Rotaract Club of the University of Kelaniya, victory isn’t just an achievement; it’s a way of life.
This year, the club bagged a total of 23 awards at the 34th Rotaract District Assembly held on the 06th of July, 2024. Just like every other year, the air was filled with anticipation and excitement as all the Rotarians and fellow Rotaractors from across the country gathered for this grand event. Among the bustling crowd at the Waters Edge Hotel, the remarkable achievements of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya stole the spotlight, making it a day to remember.
As the ceremony unfolded, our club’s dedication to service and community became evident through the numerous awards received. From Bronze to Silver to Gold, each award symbolized the collective effort and passion of our members.
🥉 The Bronze Awards we received were:
- Most Outstanding Club Service Initiative – Fellowship (External) – Rota Wasantha Udanaya 2024
- Best Financially Managed Club of the Year
- Most Outstanding Partnership Managing Club
- Most Outstanding Overall Membership Development and Retention Effort
- Most Outstanding Professional Development Initiative – Career Guidance – Career Fair 2024
- Most Outstanding Recreational Based Initiative – Spotlight 2.0.
🥈 The excitement started to build as the club secured multiple Silver Awards, including:
- Most Outstanding Club Service Initiative – Inclusivity and Diversity – Christinzel’23 Reunion
- Most Outstanding Innovative Use of Technology
- Most Sustainable Professional Development Initiative – Career Fair 2024
- Most Outstanding Basic Education and Literacy Initiative – Adaren Waruwak
- Most Sustainable Community Service Initiative – Ignite Sri Lanka
🥇 Towards the end, the cheers grew louder as RACUOK kept winning awards after awards. Among the accolades received, Rotaract Club of University won the following Gold awards:
- Most Innovative Club Service Initiative – RotaTomorrow 4.0
- Most Outstanding Club Service Initiative – Fellowship (Internal) – RotaTomorrow 4.0
- Most Innovative Professional Development Initiative – Arambana
- Most Outstanding Blog
- Most Outstanding Newsletter
- Most Outstanding Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Initiative – Ekwa
- Most Outstanding Community and Economic Development Initiative – Ignite Sri Lanka
- Most Outstanding Supporting the Environment Initiative – Swabha Samudra
- Most Outstanding Project Focused on District’s Areas of Focus – Swabha Samudra
And it didn’t just end there. The awards kept coming!
No club can strive for excellence without proper leadership and guidance.
Our club’s immediate past president, Rtr. Roshan Rathnayake, and secretary, Rtr. Akshana Wickramasinghe, who served as the backbone of our club, were honored as the Most Outstanding President and the Most Outstanding Secretary, respectively. They were also recognized as the President of the Month (April) and the Secretary of the Month (October), respectively. Their leadership played a huge role in the club’s resounding success.
In addition to that, Rtr. Akshana Wickramasinghe was also recognized for the Spirit of Service award, and RACUOK was honored as the Best Rotaract Club by the Rotary International 3220. Another important milestone was receiving the Gold Citation Award.
Apart from winning these prestigious awards, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya was also nominated for several other awards, including:
- Most Outstanding International Understanding Initiative – Merge
- The Best Novel Sports Initiative – Ludicon
- Disease Prevention and Treatment – Arogya
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene – Apen Gamata
- Most Outstanding Effort in Adapting to RI Dues and Membership Management
- Most Outstanding Annual Report
- Most Outstanding Reporting Club
As the ceremony progressed, the tension in the air was palpable. Our club had already won numerous awards, and the excitement was reaching its peak. Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
The announcer took a brief pause, creating a dramatic silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity, and finally announced the winner of the Most Outstanding Club award.
The room erupted in cheers and applause as our club’s name was called. This was the highlight of the day, and it was such a surreal moment! Members of RACUOK were filled with pride and joy. Everyone started cheering loudly, and the applause seemed never-ending. This award was truly well-deserved for all the hard work and dedication behind a year full of lots of thoughtful, meaningful, and inspiring projects. It marked a proud milestone for RACUOK.
The biggest reward for a year of hard work is the appreciation we receive. Winning these prestigious awards really made all the efforts and sacrifices worthwhile. The vision for 2023–24 was “Hope in Service, Hope in Action.” Throughout the year, with every project embarked on, every life uplifted, and every community served, our hard work, passion, and unity among club members brought us success. This proves that when hope is paired with action, it leads to remarkable achievements.
Cheers to our camaraderie, which makes our club a thriving, dynamic, and unstoppable force. Let’s continue to repeat this legacy for years to come! We extend our warmest wishes to the newly appointed District Steering Committee and also a big congratulations to all other award winners.
Viva la Rotaract!
