By Barry Villamil, President, Rotary Club of Pearlridge – Interact Youth Leadership Program Director
I would like to share a truly heartfelt, filled with Aloha, youth service project by the Pearl City High School Interact Club that reached out in the spirit of Christmas giving while spreading joy and happiness to hospitalized children across the United States.
Maria Nicole Pineda, Service Committee Chair, Pearl City High School Interact Club
“We wanted to update you on our latest service project that has recently impacted Pearl City High school tremendously.
This year interact club hosted our annual Christmas service project, creating cards for hospitalized children. This was a 3 week project that encouraged not only club members but school faculty and students to create Christmas cards to spread joy nationwide!
Our goal was to make at least 300 cards over the course of a few weeks. To our surprise, many teachers participated in our project and encouraged our student body to do the same. We held card making workshops after school, and many contributed by making cards on their own time.
By the end of three weeks, we had raised a total of 752 cards! Which was more than double the amount we were expecting! Overall, the project was a huge success that brought unity to our school and joy to those that participated!”
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge are extremely proud of the Pearl City High School Interact Club and their Advisors for the opportunity to sponsor and mentor them as a part our Rotary Club of Pearlridge Interact Youth Leadership Program.
In the past four years, the PCHS Interact Club has doubled its membership with each year and have created and implemented outstanding and meaningful service projects that have impacted and benefitted many on a global scale beginning in communities here in Hawaii and extending across the USA as well as internationally.
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge is also grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association and Ho’ea Foundation who also provide financial support and mentorship annually to the Pearl City High School Interact Club.
The Pearl City High School Interact Club are shining examples of outstanding and innovative youth leadership that is making a difference in the world we live in through the spirit of Rotary International’s “Service Above Self”.
Photos courtesy of Pearl City High School Interact Club
