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Old boys of St. Mary’s College Dehiwala rally to help their Alma mater in it’s hour of need. – By TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.
A team of old boys from St. Mary’s College Dehiwala now domiciled in Melbourne produced a spectacular dinner dance at the Sapphire Ballroom venue in Bangholm, on the weekend.
Although we were unable to attend the event due to personal issues, the reviews I got from most who attended the sold out dance was universal, ” It was a fabulous night that ticked all the boxes for fun, entertainment and a fantastic smorgasbord dinner”.
Leading Melbourne caterer Millon De Kauwe led a dedicated team that was instrumental in this fund-raiser, aimed to provide money for much needed renovation of their Alma mater which is in disturbing disrepair and in need of an upgrade to basic classroom and other facilities for students and staff.
In an informal interview, Millon said “it was great to see Marian’s reunited from around Australia as they met and reminisced their days of yore as young men in the country of their birth. That to me was definitely one of the highlights”, he said.
Reports reaching here indicate that the school receives little government assistance to keep it in acceptable condition as they sit low in the pecking order of other government schools funding.
This, for a school that has produced some outstanding personalities in Sri Lanka’s progression in various fields, over the decades.
The new restoration project led by Millon De Kauwe in Australia and St. Mary’s OBA Vice President Angelo Jesudasan in Sri Lanka, who have rallied together to make this an ongoing project involving many old boys of the school from around the world. And that plan is thankfully currently travelling at breakneck speed.
It was heart-warming to see around 450 fun loving guests throng the Melbourne event, many from different schools in Sri Lanka, all with a common focus of wanting to chip in to a worthy cause.
The monies raised will be channelled to the school through a select team working with Millon De Kauwe and his team who initiated and responded to this urgent SOS.
The music for the night was provided by one of Australia’s leading and popular country singers, Kerrigan LaBrooy, an old boy of St. Mary’s, who kept dance goers on their toes with his wonderful repertoire that extends beyond country music.
DJ Damian Weinman added his own take on the night’s entertainment providing the variety to his school mate’s performance, and with two guest artistes, ‘Two Tones’, adding to the music mix, it was indeed a night that will not be forgotten.
A significant moment of the night was an unusual mark of respect acknowledging and mourning the deaths of two murdered Melbourne Policemen, and remembering past pupils and teachers of St Mary’s who are not with us, with the lighting of three candles in their honour.
A sumptuous smorgasbord dinner provided by Jolly J’s and a raffle ticket draw made the night a complete success.
Small in area and structure, but big in achievement is St. Mary’s College Dehiwala who over a rich history of 116 years, have made an impression close behind the elite schools in Sri Lanka.
Older than many top schools in the country, St.Mary’s have made waves both academically and in the sporting fields of Sri Lanka, and in all aspects have produced students and outstanding personalities that have made a telling impact both at home and around the globe.
The boys from the little school nestled behind St. Mary’s Church on Galle Road in Dehiwala, have made an indelible impact in Sr Lanka’s culture, mainly on sport, producing some of the best boxers, cricketers, rugby players, wrestlers and Basketball players in the country.
As a proud Marian, who has hopefully made our college proud in Rugby, I would be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge some outstanding Marian’s who have put our school on the sporting map.
The late Bernard Rulach, Tyronne de Kauwe, brothers Trevine and Chavo, Sylvester Dias, Ronnie Boustead, Francis Porrit, the late Merry and Noble George and a few others in cricket, Shanthi (Sharky Jayawardena), Reginald De Zilwa, Chavo de Kauwe, Anton Swan the latter, OutstationSchools, and yours truly in A Division Rugby and several Boxers from memory, Bernard de Zilwa Chavo, Millon and Brindley de Kauwe, Douglas Pereira, Milroy Byrde, Aundre Vanderwert, the late Hans, Ernest, and Bunty VanCyulenberg, Godfrey and Adrian Van Heer, Dirk and Denham Tissera, Bandula Ratnapala, M.L Peiris, Vasantha Perera, the late Nigel Jansen, Adrian and Desmond Foulstone and a host of others that excelled as some of the best boxers in Sri Lanka. Apologies for names that have escaped my recollection.
The success of this initial function, has raised the probability of more of its kind as the proud Marian’s pursue the words of the College anthem, “Our founders we’ll honour, we’ll stand by our school” in its pursuit of putting the once proud school back on track to its glory days.
