Rotary Book Donation Drive

Phoenix Marketcity, one of the premium malls in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, had book enthusiasts come together for a one-of-a-kind social cause. ‘Karpi’, a Tamil word that means to ‘teach’ in English, was a week-long book donation campaign, organized by the Rotary Club of Ambattur in association with the Vels Group of Institutions. The drive was to make people aware of helping the needy and underprivileged children. People were asked to freely donate textbooks for needy students. The culmination of this notable drive was held at the central atrium of Phoenix Marketcity, where Chennaites from far and wide came over the weekend to drop off books in large numbers and be a part of this noteworthy cause. The campaign was recognized by the India Book of Records (IBR) as the ‘Largest Book Donation Drive’, where more than one lakh books were successfully collected.

The books that were collected over the week were then categorized and handed over to underprivileged children of government schools and colleges, to further emphasize the importance of education for one and all. As part of the felicitation program by the India Book of Records, dignitaries from the Rotary Club; Sanjana David Varma, Project Secretary –Karpi; Rotarian Flight Lieutenant Ramesh, President, Rotary Club of Ambattur; Dr Preetha Ganesh, Vice President, Vels Group of Institutions; Rotarian Vinod Saraogi, District Governor Nominee; and Rotarian Dr David Samson, Project Chairman – Karpi campaign, were also present at the venue.

The two-day event witnessed many fun-filled activities like various kinds of games, dance performances, and other entertainment acts to make this meaningful and unique book donation drive a success and an inspiration to the visitors of the mall. The book donation event was unique in terms of attendance and the number of collected books. The credit for the record goes to Rotary Club of Ambattur, Rotary International District 3232, (District Rotary Public Image) District Rotaract Council 2023-24, Phoenix Marketcity, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and Vels Group of Institutions.

This unique initiative Karpi, aimed at collecting more than one lakh books from the public, Rotary Clubs, Rotaract Clubs, schools, colleges, and the community at large, in the week leading up to the mega event. More than 1,13,450 books were donated during the campaign, which were distributed among underprivileged students, government schools, and government colleges. The claim was confirmed on September 10, 2023, leading to the setting of a new record under the India Book of Records – the leading national record keeper of Bharat.

The prominent centers for book donation in Ambattur included Sri Ramachandra Charitable Trust, Nagalkeni Chromepet, Chennai; Solomon Memorial Trust, Hyder Garden, 1st Street, Jamalia, Chennai; Indira Charitable Trust, Tondiarpet, Chennai; Sevalay, Pakkam Thirunindravur, Chennai; and Aazhntha Perarivu Aalaya Seyarpattu, Road Sivagami Nagar, Medavakkam, Chennai. The book donation campaign was much appreciated in the education circles and the schools, as it helped needy students.