About The Harrow Tsunami Relief Fund

When the Boxing Day tsunami struck south-east Asia, Harrow School had a cricket team playing in Galle, one of the worst affected towns in Sri Lanka. The cricketers themselves were fortunate enough to escape the waves by climbing to the second floor of the grandstand at Galle Stadium. However, one parent sadly lost his life, while others who were in the tour party's hotel or en route to the stadium barely survived.

It is the wish of those boys and parents who were on the tour, and who experienced the disaster at first hand, that any money raised by Harrow for the relief effort should be directed to relief and development in the Galle area. They wish the work enabled by the Fund to reflect their gratitude to and sympathy for the people of Galle who helped them to survive the tsunami in spite of their own very great losses.

To that end our Tsunami Relief Fund will channel its proceeds to the Hirdaramani Memorial Trust based in Colombo. This Trust is overseen by an Old Harrovian family, the Hirdaramanis. Nikhil Hirdaramani, (The Park 1989³), was instrumental in securing the safe return of our boys and he is now closely involved with the relief effort.

Money raised by Harrow will have three distinct purposes, reflecting the stated desire of our cricketers:

To provide funds for the immediate relief effort in Galle and surrounding regions of Sri Lanka
To fund longer term redevelopment projects in the same area
To fund a "cricket-related" programme or project with the intention of re-establishing the game in the local area (all their facilities were destroyed).

For more information on the projects being supported by the Fund, click on the Projects tab in the main menu above.

Harrow regards this support for the people of Galle and surrounding regions as a long-term commitment which will continue over several years.

If you would like to contribute to The Harrow Tsunami Relief Fund, please click on the How to donate link in the main menu above.

The Galle Stadium before and after the Tsunami.