In celebration of ‘World Environment Day,’ the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, in collaboration with Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, planted a sapling at Nuga Gama, ‘the village in the city’. Oberoi with a group of children ranging from three to 14 years initiated a tree planting exercise. “All of us should help in efforts to help the environment,” he told the children.
He encouraged the children to join him in planting the sapling whilst treating them to fun facts and anecdotes about the environment to capture their imagination and interest. Oberoi himself was fascinated with the Nuga Gama village concept and the 200 year old banyan tree which he said “spreads out so beautifully like a magical little world of its own.”
The children were also given a sapling to take home and were urged by Oberoi to plant them in their own gardens. As a social activist, Oberoi is involved with several charities, environmental programmes and organisations.
Rohan Karr, General Manager, Cinnamon Grand said that this initiative further enhanced John Keells Holdings Group’s Environment Day Tree Planting effort which supported the United Nation’s Environment Programme’s (UNEP) ‘Plant for Planet – Billion Tree Campaign’.
Tharika Goonathilake, Public Relations Manager said that it was indeed a great privilege to have Oberoi grace this occasion, given his enthusiasm to work towards environmental and humanitarian causes. “At Nuga Gama we believe in inculcating the importance of honouring tradition, culture and environment at a young age since the concept of Nuga Gama is all about preservation. This is one way we can teach kids to be more environmentally responsible,” she said.
