Sri Lankan restaurant, The Coconut Tree, which has locations in the likes of Bristol, Bath, Oxford and Cardiff, is hosting a fundraising night in which diners will enjoy a meal in candlelight only to raise awareness of the ongoing electricity crisis in Sri Lanka.
Alongside the dimming of both lights and music, The Coconut Tree - which serves up small plates in a "relaxed 'island vibe' setting" across all nine sites - will be donating 10% of its earnings to a charity close to the hearts of the founder - the Meth Mihira Special Education Centre, which cares for and educates children with special educational needs.
The Coconut Tree's five founders all hail from Sri Lanka and the electricity crisis people living there face is monumental. Power cuts lasting 13 hours have been experienced and has affected the economy as well as medical care - for example hospital surgeries halted, reports The Independent.
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The Power Out Night will occur on Thursday, March 23 and with it, The Coconut Tree will be giving diners a chance to make a Sri Lankan delicacy for themselves, as it plans to bring out 'Hopper stations'. Hoppers is a traditional, bowl-shaped coconut milk pancake.
Speaking of this night, the restaurant chain's co-founder, Rashintha Rodrigo, said: "Power outs are now a regular occurrence in Sri Lanka, and, having all grown up on the island, we’re passionate about doing what we can to raise awareness and contribute. We’re hoping the money raised will help Meth Mihira to keep providing their vital service throughout 2023 and beyond.”
Writing on its Instagram page over the weekend, The Coconut Tree made its fans aware of this special evening with a post which read: "Did you know the people of #SriLanka have been experiencing power cuts of up to 13 hours? On the 23rd March, we will be hosting a Power Out Night to support Meth Mihira Special Education Centre which is often affected by the blackouts.
"We have seen first-hand their incredible spirit and positivity when we visited Sri Lanka in February, and we hope by raising money it will help them to keep providing their vital services throughout 2023 and beyond.
"On the night you can enjoy our full selection of authentic Sri Lankan food in a candlelit setting. We will also be bringing out our Hopper Stations for the occasion so you can have a go at cooking our traditional, bowl-shaped coconut milk pancakes for yourself!
"To support the cause, visit our website to book a table at your local TCT. 10% of the money made on the night will be donated to the Meth Mihira Special Education Centre." For more information or to book a table, visit The Coconut Tree website.
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