Fun for funds: XLRI campus

So you thought student fests were all about peppy songs, crazy dancing and loads of food? Students of Jamshedpur-based XLRI would surely agree, but add that such events could also be used to raise funds for the needy.

The proceeds of Valhalla — a three-day mega inter-B-school fest that will be organised by XLRI on its campus from July 27 — will go towards helping the poor from Bengal and Odisha.

Valhalla, which will see Palash Sen’s Euphoria performing on the concluding day at Tata auditorium, will be the first fest to be organised by all student societies of XLRI — CII-Yi Sportscomm, Dracula and SIGMA, among others.

Speaking to The Telegraph on Monday, principal secretary of Valhalla Amit Purohit said that they expected at least 1,000 students to take part in the three-day extravaganza. “We, for the very first time, decided to merge all the societies to organise this event,” Purohit said.

The premier B-cradle has also roped in Bangalore-based micro-finance company Milaap, which will use the funds raised from the event to provide loans to residents of Odisha and Bengal with the aim of making them self-sufficient. The money, once paid back by the borrowers, would be again lent out to the poor.

The students said that according to plans, Milaap would open a bank account in the name of XLRI through which the loans would be disbursed and collected by the company.

Prodded about the events, which have been lined up for the extravaganza, Purohit said as of now, they decided to include various games like goalz (football); transcend (table tennis); airborne (volleball); smash (badminton); supersonic (athletics); slowdown (basketball); and verve (throwball).

Apart from this, CII Yi will host a 5km marathon on the theme of environment sustainability. Dracula, the theatre club, has planned XLBedRock, a rock competition; Bellet-o-Rhythmo, a dance competition; and Dionysia, a drama competition.

“It is good to see all the students coming together for a cause,” said M.G. Jomon, a faculty member.

Five B-schools XIMB, IIM-Calcutta, IIM-Ranchi, Symbiosis Institute of Management, Pune, and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, have confirmed their participation for the event.