Reliance Life’s World Cup-linked literacy initiative begins
By IANSSunday, February 20, 2011
NEW DELHI - Reliance Life Insurance’s initiative of donating Rs.25,000 for every six hit during the cricket World Cup to promote literacy started with a bang with the 10 big hits at the opening game Saturday ensuring a total donation of Rs.2.5 lakh.
The company, part of Reliance Capital, has tied up with the International Cricket Council and a global non-profit organisation, Room to Read, to promote literacy and gender equality in education by contributing Rs.25,000 for every six hit during the World Cup.
The initiative, christened ‘Boundaries for Books’, will make funds available to Room to Read for establishing libraries and providing local language and English books to disadvantaged children across India.
India hit 7 of the 10 sixes during the tournament’s opening match against Bangladesh in Dhaka Saturday, with opening batsman Virender Sehwag smashing five sixes in his innings of 175.
The Rs.2.5 lakh donation would bring fully functional libraries, books, and trained teacher-librarians to at least 300 underprivileged children across India, the company said in a statement.
In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, 51 matches were played, in which 1,808 fours and 373 sixes were hit, at an average of 35 fours and 7 sixes per match.
Reliance Big FM, with a special ‘Hit illiteracy for a six’ segment, Big Cinema, Big CBS and various other Reliance ADA Group platforms are also being used to popularise the campaign.
The public will also have the opportunity to contribute to this cause through convenient payment gateways, such as SMS, cheque or by logging on to the website: www.facebook.com/RelianceLifeInsurance.
Prizes for top donors would include invitations to an exclusive Reliance event in Mumbai with cricketers and other prominent personalities, signed memorabilia, photo opportunities and other incentives, the company said.
