District 82 of Toastmasters International held its annual awards night on the 5th of September 2020 at the Raffles Residences, Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte, in the presence of the Regional Advisor – Region 13 of Toastmasters International, past and present District officers and club leaders.
The gala event was an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of the clubs, members and leaders within the Toastmasters movement in Sri Lanka. In spite of a limited guest list, representatives of clubs from across the island were hosted in the spirit of celebration. Overcoming the challenges of the year, 76 clubs achieved the highest honor offered by Toastmasters International to become Presidents Distinguished, 11 achieved Select Distinguished and 20 earned the Distinguished Club titles. These are achievements that are a testament to the commitment to self-improvement shown by the members of the movement. On this night, a host of District awards were given to Toastmasters members, clubs and leaders. The prestigious Golden Gavel Award was earned to 22 clubs in recognition of their club quality and member engagement. Dialog, MillenniumIT ESP, Awakening, Siyane, and Anuradapura Toastmasters Clubs were awarded the Eight-80 membership award in recognition of the retention and growth of its member base, reflecting the quality and high-standards within the clubs.
A key highlight of the night was the recognition of the members who achieved the highest member recognition offered by Toastmasters International. This year it was noteworthy that 51 members from 41 clubs achieved the prestigious Distinguished Toastmasters Award. “Toastmasters is a passion for many of us in the movement,” says Distinguished Toastmaster Noorul Munawwara, the newly appointed District Director. “While we commit ourselves to grow as individuals, these awards are a reminder that hard work and the right attitude will never go unappreciated. Tonight, we see that the future of Toastmasters in Sri Lanka has never looked more promising.” The evening came to a close with the recognition of exceptional performers during the year. TM Lawrance Madapatha, DTM from Wayamba Toastmasters Club received the District Director’s Special Award and TM Aravindhan Rajeswaran from Vadamarachchi Toastmasters Club received the Toastmaster of the Year award for 2018-2019. TM Jeewana Pradeep of AATSL Toastmasters Club was recognised as the Area Director of the Year and TM Mahesh Abeyasekera of The Millennium Toastmasters Club received the Division Director of the Year award. The Toastmaster of the Year 2019-2020 award, the highest honor offered by the District, was awarded to TM Thinusha Bamunuarachchi of AATSL Toastmasters Club in recognition of his dedication, commitment and performance during the year. “We are entering a new chapter in the story of District 82. I have the fullest faith that these leaders will continue to keep the name of District 82 shining bright on the global stage,” says TM Sarma Mahalingam, DTM, the Immediate Past District Director. About Toastmasters International Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., the organization's membership exceeds 358,000 in more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.
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Left to right: NoorulMunawwara, DTM – District Director 2020-2021; BalrajArunasalam, DTM – Past International President of Toastmasters International; ThinushaBamunuarachchi – Toastmaster of the Year 2019-2020; SarmaaMahalingam, DTM – District Director 2019-2020; SudashLiyanage, DTM – Regional Advisor of Region 13 Toastmasters International; Srianthie Salgado – Program Quality Director 2020-2021