The Rotary Club of Pearlridge is proud and honored to recognize the Pearl City High School Interact Club for their acts of kindness by designing special Holiday cards with their heartfelt messages and images that were sent to hospitalized children in America.
The 2022 Cards for Hospitalized Children Project was chaired by PCHS Interact club member McKenna Runyan who presented the card project to the club to implement as a community service project to benefit and brighten the spirits of hospitalized children in Hawaii, as well as across the country during the Holiday season.
PCHS Interact Club Advisor Mr. Dane Souza invited RCOP President Dick Mosko and me, Barry Villamil, RCOP Director of Interact Clubs, to sit in on a few classes while the students crafted their wonderful and extremely meaningful Holiday cards that was completed the same day the students were scheduled to go on Winter break on Friday, December 16, 2022.
PCHS Interact Club members, PCHS staff, PCHS students, and volunteers worked hard to produce 433 cards for the 2022 Cards for Hospitalized Children Project well surpassing their original goal of 100-125 cards.
Carollen St. Ledger, PCHS Interact Club
“Mr. Souza opened our classroom for a week to create the cards. The students were given the materials to make their cards, decorate them, and write a little message to the person receiving it. We collected them and did a little quality check to make sure everything was in order before they are sent out to different hospitals.
The student’s enthusiasm to make the cards was really up. People were excited to make the cards and got really crafty. They didn’t just make normal folding cards, they folded them like boxes, boxes that open that make them look like presents. Putting that much effort into the cards really shows how enthusiastic the students are about the project. Mahalo to Ms. Choo, Ms. Yoon, Mr. Higa, Ms. Pang, and Mr. Cha for their help and support.”
Mr. Dane Souza, PCHS Teacher, Interact Club Advisor
” This project was our first major project and I feel that it, in many ways, went beyond expectations. When the club restarted one of the first things I said to the students is that our club is small and one benefit of that is that each member can easily use their voice to give input as to what the can and should do. I also told them that I want our projects to be thought of and planned by them instead of only answering calls for assistance. This project is an excellent example of that
This project was one of the first for officers to coordinate and they worked with each other, members, myself, and with students at the school to accomplish this. As advisor I only filled out purchase orders and gave input a few times mainly in the form of answering questions.
The greatest exceeding of expectations in my opinion was the amount of cards made. We only thought and expected about a hundred cards to be completed initially with most coming from Interact Club Members. However when we made the call to the students and faculty at the school there was a resounding response with many students coming in after school and teachers having their students support the cause as well. As a result of this the goal of 100-125 cards became 250 and eventually the final amount of 433.”
The RCOP is blessed with Rotary Interact Club students and advisors such as those representing the Pearl City High School Interact Club, Highlands Intermediate Interact Club, and the Interact Club of Cross Academy who are the Heart and Soul of the foundation for building the RCOP and community’s next generation of successful and caring leaders through Service Above Self.
I believe the Rotary Club of Pearlridge is focused on making a difference in its mission to extend its membership’s leadership skills and experiences as Rotarian mentors to the Interact Youth Leadership students and the communities they live and thrive in. Their leadership skills gained and learned today, will mature as they do upon tomorrow, and the lifelong bond of friendships through service to mankind with Aloha around the world.
Happy New Year!
Photos courtesy of Mr. Dane Souza
