ALERT NGO and PSGR Krishnammal College for Women jointly organised ALERT Golden Army (AGA) Fest 3.0 recently at the college.
The event brought together eminent personalities, academicians, healthcare professionals, social leaders, entrepreneurs, volunteers and community representatives, united by a shared commitment to building safer and more resilient communities.
Dr. Sushil Mary Mathews, Head of the Department of English, delivered the welcome address. Kala Balasundaram, Founder of ALERT, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the importance of citizen participation, emergency preparedness and collective responsibility in creating safer communities.
The programme was graced by Bhuvanesh, Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore, and Vasantharajan of We The Leaders, who attended as the Chief Guests.
Dr. J. S. Bhuvaneshwaran, Director of PSG Super Speciality Hospital and REC Member of ALERT Coimbatore, delivered a special address on the importance of timely medical intervention and lifesaving skills.
The Guests of Honour included Murugan, Founder, Maxwell Charitable Trust & TNDSC E-Service; Saravanan, Founder, Sun Smart Group of Companies; and Aruna, Founder, Arunalayam Educational Trust.
Following the inauguration, a free First Aid Workshop was conducted for all participants. Students received hands-on training from ALERT instructors in CPR, emergency response, bleeding control, fracture management and other essential lifesaving techniques. All participants who attended the workshop were awarded free First Aid Participation Certificates.
Following the workshop, 13 inter-collegiate competitions were conducted for students from colleges across Coimbatore and neighbouring districts. The competitions included Mime, Group Dance, Fashion Walk, Treasure Hunt, JAM (Just A Minute), Poster Making, Presentation, Short Film, Connection, Quiz, Mehendi, Face Painting and Photography.
A special cash prize of ₹5,000 was awarded for the Short Film Competition, while the remaining competitions featured first, second and third prizes in the form of medals and certificates.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in a variety of interactive First Aid awareness games, including VR Games, Mind Games, Snake and Ladder, Virtual Emergency Games and other experiential learning activities designed to promote emergency preparedness in an engaging manner.
More than 810 students from over 35 colleges across Coimbatore and neighbouring districts participated enthusiastically, making AGA Fest 3.0 one of the region’s largest inter-collegiate community awareness festivals.
The valedictory ceremony was held in the evening following the completion of all competitions. The ceremony was attended by Kala Balasundaram, Founder of ALERT, and Joicy, Dean of Sports, Rathinam University.
Winners of all competitions received medals and Merit Certificates, while Participation Certificates were presented to all event participants and First Aid Workshop participants.
The Overall Championship Trophy was awarded to ASET Institute of Technology in recognition of its outstanding overall performance across the competitions.
