By Nancy Martin
One way that Rotary reaches out to the community is through the Interact Club. It is Rotary’s service club at Kingston High School, much like the Kiwanis Key Club and the Lions’ Leo Club.
All of these groups have the common goal of engaging our youth in community service, and projects that better our local area. Co-presidents Antonio Fajardo and Shawn Evans lead the Interact Club. These young men are Kingston High School seniors and are also active in the Technology Student Association.
Antonio is a Buccaneer cheerleader and has been involved in several leadership programs, including People to People. He intends to lead Interact into a new era of international aid.
Shawn is also involved in leadership activities with People to People. Shawn wants to help lead the Interact Club to be even more resourceful in community volunteering.
Megan Jackson, Interact vice president, is a junior. Megan is on the school swim team and participates in drama and the American Sign Language Program. She went on an exchange program with the school to Japan in summer 2010.
Megan Martin, a senior, is Interact treasurer. She has served as an Interact for four years. She has also been active in the varsity soccer program and the Buccaneer band for the past four years, and has acted in several of the drama club plays. Megan was one of the first Kingston Rotary Summer Exchange students, traveling to Italy in 2011.
The Interact Club has started collecting toiletry items and warm clothes for our local at-risk youth. The items will be distributed through Spectrum at the high school. This year, the supervisor at Spectrum says that they are serving homeless and at-risk youth who are in need of jackets (larger sizes seem to be the issue) and toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. This endeavor helps our students get involved with community service.
The Kingston Rotary Club is also joining the North Kitsap-Poulsbo Club, and Bainbridge Island Rotary to launch a joint Rotary Public Relations campaign. This campaign is funded by a Rotary International Grant. The campaign will use Humanity in Motion Rotary ads to help raise awareness of Rotary in this area. The ads will run in local newspapers, as well as on the video monitors on the Seattle/Bainbridge Ferries.
In addition, all the clubs will be ramping up their social media presence. The campaign has the ability to reach more than 8 million people via print media, social media, online ads, and the ferry media. This program will reach the entire North Kitsap community (including Bainbridge Island) and as such will enhance membership and volunteer recruitment opportunities as well as educate the community about Rotary’s efforts both locally and worldwide.
Rotary meets at noon at the North Kitsap Fire Station on Miller Bay Road. Join us for a great lunch and meeting; we’d love to have you involved in our projects. Call Clint Boxman for directions or more information, (360) 271-1143.
