鈥淪hameless Idealists,鈥� a term coined by the Free the Children organization, aptly describes the members of Highland鈥檚 Interact Club. These individuals are determined to make the world a better place.
鈥淚 am very impressed with the hard work, positive leadership, and vision of the members of the Interact Club again this year,鈥� commented Tami Jerome, one of the teacher-sponsors for the club. 鈥淚 am so proud of our accomplishments, not only in raising money, but also raising awareness and positive energy at Highland this year,鈥� added club president Charlotte Grant.
The main focus for this year was the 鈥淏arnyard鈥� project which provides alternate income sources to impoverished families in Sierra Leone (farm animals, sewing supplies, etc.)
Recently, they hosted a documentary, 鈥淎 Small Act鈥� raising approximately $500. Those who attended the evening also received 鈥淏oom Boom Cards,鈥� that have suggestions for small acts that can change the world. These acts of kindness can be registered online and are meant to cause a chain reaction of good deeds.
Through a variety of fundraising efforts, the Interact club raised close to $2,000 for their 鈥淏arnyard鈥� project. These included a movie night, bake sales, a 鈥淏oys vs. Girls鈥� coin drive and a hotdog sale at Quality Foods. The club would like to thank Quality Foods and Gone Hollywood video in Comox (popcorn) for their support of the 鈥淏arnyard鈥� project.
In addition to this worthy cause, Interact decided to help out in Japan after its devastating earthquake and tsunami. They hosted a variety night showcasing student talent that raised over $1,000; Strathcona-Sunrise Rotary Club generously matched the funds up to $1,000. As a result, a $2,200 cheque was sent to the Canadian Red Cross for Japanese relief.
In conjunction with the financial donation, students in every AG in the school folded origami paper cranes to reach our goal of 鈥淎 Thousand Paper Cranes鈥� as a symbol of hope and renewal for Japan. These cranes will be sent to Highland鈥檚 sister school in Sendai, Japan.
Highland鈥檚 Interact Club would like to give a huge thank-you to Strathcona-Sunrise Rotary Club and the community for their interest and support throughout the year. They are eagerly planning for next year鈥檚 endeavours.
