CHENNAI: Around 50 people at the Broken Bridge Cafe in RA Puram seated in front of tiny canvases, laughed, sipped wine and smudged colour onto canvases as they tried their hands at painting. This was the scene at the fundraiser held by the Rotary Club of Madras Next Gen in association with IlluminArty.
The proceeds of the event will be used to build a library at a government-aided school in Kolapakkam. This is a part of Rotary Club of Madras Next Gen’s series of fundraisers for ‘Build a Library Project’, under which they raise money to help build libraries in government-aided schools across Chennai. The club successfully completed a model library at the Panchayat Union School in Kannagi Nagar, last year.
"The library is an inspiring space for encouraging children to expand their minds and literary capabilities. Each library costs about Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh, including the wall murals, shelves, benches and chairs,” said Shreya Bajaj from the Rotary Club of Madras Next Gen.
She said that all the books are collected through a donation drive. “Through our last drive, we collected over 1,000 books from residents of Chennai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. They include fiction, non-fiction, comics and encyclopedias among others,” she said.
The participants had a creative evening while contributing to a social cause. “It is like social artworking. We have good food, wine, an art teacher and people to bond with. It is important for fundraising events to be fun to attract larger crowds,” said an attendee.
After an hour of painting and chatting, the participants were treated to a three-course meal, which looked as artistic as their creations.