Cinnamon Lakeside assists Ishwariya Lakshmi Amman Kovil

A team of Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo volunteers visited the Ishwariya Lakshmi Amman Kovil on Sunday 27 May 2012 to assist with its ongoing renovations. Located in Wellawatte the Ishwariya Lakshmi Kovil is under construction and welcomed the assistance of the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo team to help the progress of the project.

This is the Hotel’s third project of its kind where employees, regardless of ethnicity, united for a cause. The inspiring Abeygiriya project where volunteers from Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo travelled to Anuradhapura to assist with the restoration of the historic temple, marked the beginning of the Hotel’s cultural CSR series.
Once again the project was raring to go. Gathering a record 100 names within just two hours of calling for volunteers, the Hotel’s HR department was forced to defer the additional names to the next project which would involve a Muslim Madrasa.
The enthusiasm of associates at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo to contribute to the improvement of the community stands firmly behind one of the five John Keells Leisure Sector Pledges “I Will Care.”
One hundred hotel volunteers gathered at the hotel early on a Sunday morning, in far and varying ethnic groups which included Sri Lankans, Malaysians and Indians lead by French General Manager, Denis Gruhier, whose son and Peruvian wife joined in the efforts.
Arriving at the Kovil the team worked tirelessly for many hours clearing and tidying the rubble at the four storey structure. A true team spirit was felt throughout the project culminating in a motivational speech by Denis Gruhier and words of appreciation expressed by the Kovil’s Founder, Kambavaradhi E. Jayaraj.

The Founder of the Kovil was touched by the Hotel’s enthusiasm in helping the community and admired the team’s hard work and unity that was evident throughout the project. As a memento of gratitude he honoured Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s General Manager with a “Ponnadai,” a blessed shawl that was accepted by Gruhier on behalf of the entire team that worked on the project. The “Ponnadai” is only the second of its kind to be presented to any individual at this Kovil.
The project was made possible by the support of P. Ehamparam, General Manager of Mantai Salt Ltd. and N. Selvanadan, the Project Manager of the Ishwariya Lakshmi Amman Kovil.
The Hotel’s associates look forward to continuing their sustainable CSR drive with plans to support a local Muslim Madrasa in the pipelines. Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s CSR projects have been a towering strength of team spirit for associates, encouraging team building and bonding, resulting in unyielding staff morale within the hotel.