by Alana Routhier - Special to Sylvan Lake News
H. J. Cody High School is excited to be chartering an Interact Club (the high school division of Rotary).
We have met with Sylvan Lake Rotary Club members and they are very supportive and excited to get involved.
After two meetings, we have 21 members and have elected our executive for the year. Teacher liaisons are Ms. Routhier and Ms. Buyks and they are excited about all of the ideas that we have generated so far.
Co-Presidents are Bethany Mulholland and Brooklyn Soley who are also hoping to work to support the Coats for Kids program. Secretary is Chais Avery and treasurer is Hailey Declercke. Photographers are Jessica Beckwith and Hannah Edgecombe and PR reps are Ann Duffy and Annika Vetter.
Remaining members will chair the events and programs that are closest to their hearts. These are Makenna McLean, Kaden deFrece, Amber Carson, Bobbi Cerin, Bennett Hreherchuk, Chantel Bossert, Sam Hann, Janae McCluskey, Wyatt Bosse, Alesha Pfau, Bailey Philips, Breanna Tait, and Ivanaka Tucker.
Our club will be attending WE Day on Oct. 24th at the Saddledome in Calgary where 18,000 young people will gather to hear motivational speakers including Amanda Lindhout, Rick Hansen, Mikhail Gorbachev, Spencer West, Liz Murray, Theo Fleury, Jesse Giddings, Jessi Cruickshank, and Craig and Mark Keilberger. In addition, we will be treated to performances by Lights, Shawn Desman, and Hedley. This one day event is designed to inspire a year of social action by our students who have been chosen to attend.
Our first project will be promoting and collecting Christmas shoeboxes. Our goal is to collect at least 50 shoeboxes by Nov. 14th. Boxes and instructions are available in Room 103, but students may use any shoebox that they choose and packing instructions can be found online through Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.ca/operation-christmas-child).
Interacters are also hoping to get involved with Coats for Kids and current Rotary projects. Throughout the year, students would like to connect with elderly in our community, help out with Habitat for Humanity in Red Deer, help kids as the need presents itself, support the Cancer Society, the Ronald McDonald House, and Free the Children (sponsors of WE Day).
Our lofty ambition would be to organize a hot air balloon fundraiser in the spring and we would love any direction that people can give us towards accomplishing this.
We are still welcoming new members, so please encourage H. J. Cody students to come out and get involved. Our next meeting is Oct. 15th at lunch in Room 103. Please email Alana Routhier at arouthier@chinooksedge.ab.ca if you have any suggestions or would like to get involved.