Interact Club helps Salvation Army

by Donna M. Webb
Grand Island Dispatch, December 22, 2006

Shown helping the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive are, from left, William Burnham, Karen Bellanca, Rachael Kaplan and Shana Wierchowski. Burnham worked a remarkable five shifts during the drive. (photo by Fred Claus)

There were bells ringing and smiling faces when the Interact Club members “gathered ’round the red kettles” to collect money for the Salvation Army at Tops on Dec. 16. The Interact Club is a group of Grand Island High School teens who are sponsored by the Grand Island Rotary Club. Interact students take part in community service projects, such as raising money for the homeless, and projects that benefit people in other countries. Also, club members assist the Rotary Club with their fund-raisers, such as the Lobsterfest and their annual hot dog sale. Currently, there are about 25 students in Interact.

Interact Club members who helped with the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive included William Burnham, Karen Bellanca, Rachael Kaplan, Shana Wierchowski Ashley Mazurkiewicz, Bailey DeGlopper, Giovanna Andolina, Amber Hultgren, Bessie Zhang, Amanda Williams, Sarah Mye, Forrest Smith, Meghan Dollard, Allie Boron and Carrie Boron. The Rotary Club members who supervised the students were Interact Coordinator Donna Webb, Alan Geldin, Mary Haggerty and Dick Earne.

Other projects that the Interact Club members have been involved with since September include:

•Helping the Rotary Club to clean up part of the Beaver Island Parkway.

•Collecting funds from students to purchase undergarments and socks for the City Mission and Cornerstone Manor.

•Sorting food donations for the Neighbors Foundation.

Next, the Interact Club plans to collect cans of “Silly String.” U.S. troops are using this in Iraq before they enter a building. Because Silly String is a plastic, gooey material that sprays out in strands that fly 10 feet to 12 feet, soldiers employ it in order to detect trip wires for explosive devices. If the Silly String hangs up in the air, the soldiers know they have a trip wire to contend with.