INTERACT CLUB of LAKESHORE CATHOLIC HIGH

1. INTERACT CLUB of LAKESHORE CATHOLIC HIGH

2. Selene Lopez and several other dedicated students decided to start a Rotary Interact Group in September 2009. It seemed a logical move, considering their dedication and hard work to the community. HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

3. OUR INTERACT CLUB President- Selene Lopez President Elect – Rudder Zhang Vice President- Jenny Moskalyk Secretary- Aleaha Zampaloni Financial- Zac Konings, Mac Hoover Members at Large: Courtney Kovacich, Rebecca Salvatore, Stephanie Gault, Christian Cross, Kait Saxton, Emma Valley, Mirgine Michel, Dylan Hoover, Shayna Dwor.

4. OUR VALUES Lakeshore Catholic High School, as part of the Niagara Catholic District School Board, has as its mission to offer secondary school education with the values and teachings of Jesus Christ and the traditions of the Catholic Faith. • We recognize the dignity of each person as a child of God and each person’s right to be respected as such. • We encourage learning by focusing on the development of each person’s talents and abilities in preparation for life’s expectations. • We strive to build a community where everyone reaches out in mutual support of and for each other. • We strive to show pride and respect to the property of the school and those of others.

5. ROTARY’s FOUR-WAY TEST • Is it the truth? • Is it fair to all concerned? • Will it build good will and better friendship? • Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Clearly our school community shares the same values as the Rotary Club.

6. VOW OF SILENCE Lakeshore Catholic's very own “Vow of Silence” took place in October and involved not only members of Interact, but many volunteers from within the school community. For twenty-four hours, over twenty students chose to remain silent to honour victims of injustice, who do not have a voice in society.

7. VOW OF SILENCE

8. This event raised awareness about a variety of social issues, as well as $800 which was donated to our school's parishes in El Salvador and Dominica.

9. TRIVIA NIGHT In December, our Interact Club held a family-oriented Trivia Night in order to raise funds for our group. Questions asked sparked the realization of social injustices around the world. $400 was raised which was used to support our club in future events, and a donation was made to the Hand-in-Hand International Youth Network, in their efforts to support the Free-the-Children Foundation.

10. HAITI SHOEBOX DONATION After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, we decided to take action and fundraise within our school. For one week, members of Interact went from class to class collecting donations. Additionally, pizza was sold to the student body throughout the day. Overall, the Interact club raised close to$1000 to help rebuild homes and lives in the otherwise helpless society of Haiti.

12. MOVIE NIGHT One of our more recent events was the movie night held at the Boutique Movie Theatre in Ridgeway. The movie shown was My Sister's Keeper, and the $200 raised was donated to McMaster Sick Kids Hospital. Tickets and refreshments were sold to make this event successful

13. RELAY FOR CHILE After the earthquake in Haiti, the world was exhausted from the large amount of donations. Another disaster struck in Chile and we knew that we should respond. For two periods, a pair of teachers cycled on spin bikes in a relay-form of competition for donations.

14. Teachers competed in “The 2010 Chili Cook-Off for Chile.” For a sample, and a chance to vote on the winning chili, students were encourage to donate to Chile. A total of $514 was raised from this event. 

15. Ms Purcell competed in “The 2010 Chili Cook-Off for Chile.” For two periods, a pair of teachers cycled on spin bikes in a relay-form of competition for donations.

16. Out of the Cold For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat. A long-standing Lakeshore Catholic tradition is the Out-of-the-Cold Program. Throughout the year, Interact members volunteered with this program where they assisted in preparing food for the members of our Port Colborne community in need.

17. SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK Four different presentations were prepared for the religion classes of Lakeshore Catholic, put together especially for each grade level. Each one discussed social issues around the world: slavery, the Darfur Genocide, war crimes, child slavery. Interact continuity These presentations took place in the 2nd week of April, and were one of our most direct ways to raise awareness, and encourage students to join Interact in the near future. 5 Interactors graduate and move on to University. 13 remain to continue Interact’s good work at LCHS !!

18. SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK Grade 9 – Slavery/Fair Trade Grade 10 – Free the Children Grade 11 – Holocaust/Genocide Grade 12 – Effects of War Not only did students learn about these social justice issues, but they were able to apply this knowledge to their community service work.

19. ME TO WE CAMPAIGN For the month of April, group members made buttons which state “Ask me about Me to We”. When asked, each individual explained the “Me to We” vision: Finding meaning in a material world. “Me to We” is about a shift in our thinking, about spreading positive messages and letting our voice be heard. It's about embracing our shared humanity and thinking globally.

20. THE FUTURE We are successful due to the support of our Rotary representatives, administration and staff. Our involvement in the community has inspired many junior grades to become involved. Our heartfelt gratitude for all your support!