Interact Clubs are Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. The club has been very successful since the Rotary Club of Cleveland established it within the school. It has helped many very worthy causes:
The club has been able to donate money to UNICEF in order to purchase two ‘Schools In a Box’ which provided education materials to children in need within Africa.
A long standing relationship with RSPCA Million Paws Walk has enabled the club to donate almost $2000 to the RSPCA to assist in their efforts to care for injured and unwanted animals.
Assistance has also been provided to Calisto Park Equestrian Centre (CPEC). CPEC was created to provide horse riding activities for all people, including those with a disability, disadvantage or at risk, focusing on fun, inclusion, fitness, well-being, therapy, community spirit, and a passion for everything equine. A $600 donation was given to CPEC in 2013 to go towards new riding equipment and upkeep of their horses. In addition, students and teachers donated their Saturday to assist the incredible CPEC team, led by Claire Byrne a Queensland Para-Equestrian, in the maintenance and establishment of the stables and grounds. This connection to CPEC will be maintained in 2014 with another donation and working bee planned for later in the year.
Money has also been donated to Médecins Sans Frontières which is the world’s leading independent organisation for medical humanitarian aid. Every day more than 24,000 Médecins Sans Frontières field staff are providing medical assistance to people caught in crises around the world.
The club also donated funds to the Rotary International’s End Polio initiative. The money was raised on ‘The Paint Your Pinky For Polio Day’ where students painted the school communities pinky finger to replicate the immunisation mark given to children around the world. This event was part of an international fundraiser to assist the global polio eradication initiative which has helped to immunize more than 2 billion children against polio in 122 countries and has reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide.
In 2014 the club hopes to assist the following organisations and projects:
Club meetings are held on Thursday in A08 at 11:20am. Any student interested in joining INTERACT can attend a meeting or approach the Club Co-ordinator Mr Fitzpatrick or any club member that wears the Interact Club badge.