Interact Club members Cleo, Austin, Jana and Dylan gathered up shoeboxes that Carihi students filled for Operation Christmas Child.

Interact Club members Cleo, Austin, Jana and Dylan gathered up shoeboxes that Carihi students filled for Operation Christmas Child.

An opportunity to make a difference

The holiday season is always a busy time in our lives, but it is also a time of generosity and giving back.

Carihi’s Interact Club is doing just that. Interact Club is a Rotary sponsored club that gives students an opportunity to make a difference in their world, whether it be close to home or at an international level.

This year, Carihi’s Interact Club has over 30 enthusiastic students from grades 9-12. The club is very much “service above self” oriented. In only a few months, students have been able to volunteer their time helping with many projects and fundraisers, their latest being Operation Christmas Child.  This organization distributes shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to children in developing countries regardless of gender, race or religion.

“We have participated in Operation Christmas Child for many years now as a club, but this is the first year that we were able to engage students throughout the entire school to take part in this amazing organization as well,”  said 2015/2016 Interact president, Jana Modras.

She has been highly committed to the club for over two years now and made it her mission to get Carihi students to fill as many boxes as possible.

The club decided that a friendly competition to see which Carihi class could fill the most boxes would encourage students throughout the school to participate.  Interact members went from class to class advertising the competition and creating awareness of the organization with much success.  Carihi filled 130 boxes, with more than 40 coming from Mrs. Thompson’s winning D block class.

“I’m so proud of Carihi students for their outstanding participation,” Modras said. “We will definitely help this organization again next year and hopefully it will continue to be a yearly event that keeps growing throughout our school and within our community.  It’s such a great way to make a difference in a child’s life and have fun while doing it!”

 

Campbell River Mirror