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By Jayanthi Liyanage

Ravindra with visually-impaired students.

How the celebrities can lend a few rays of their starry glitter to bring light and hope to a differently-abled and disadvantaged sector in society was proven beyond doubt last Sunday.

The streets of Colombo literally glittered with starry splendour as the "Celebrity Rally" glided past surprised by-standers, crowding around to have an up-close encounter with their favourite TV and movie personalities. There were smiles all round as the glamorously-draped personalities came out of their vehicles, sponsored by the corporate world, to mix, mingle, chat and hand out autographs to the hordes who gathered to watch this wonder. A star-crazy apple-vendor left her apple-stall unattended as she darted forward to catch an up-close view of her favourite star and returned to the discovery that a young truant had scrambled away with an oversized fruit!

Manik with hearing-impaired students.

But, the morning belonged to a group of very special people whom the celebrities came out from their hide-outs to share the limelight with. The young students of the Ceylon School of Deaf and Blind at Ratmalana. Setting off from Hilton Hotel in Fort, the star parade paused briefly at a few check points in Colombo, stirring up quite a commotion, before arriving at the School for the Deaf and Blind. The stars mingled with the students who could not quite believe their luck or their fortune and got them autographing every book cover and every bit of paper. Damitha Abeyratne crooned with the Blind School band while Dilhani Ekanayake and the rest joined in the fun with hearty claps.

“We appreciate your presence” - Sohan to Malini.

Malini Fonseka, the ever-green Queen of Hearts won more hearts when at the check point at Rajagiriya, she offered her hand to the few differently-abled students parading with the stars and asked them, "I am Malini. Do you know me?" She was answered with delighted nods. Being vision or hearing-impaired had not deprived the students from being ardent movie fans! The love of arts is universal, notwithstanding these minor impairments!

Jackson and Kumari signing autographs.

Lunch at Hilton Hotel closed the "Celebrity Rally" and the Resource Development Committee of the school records a net collection of over Rs.50,000/- to provide the students with better facilities. And the impetus behind the show was the prime organ of local movie arena - the Sarasaviya magazine.

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