Interact Club receives Rotary Presidential Award

Photo by Stan Martin

The Warwick Valley High School’s Interact Club, a leadership building group sponsored by the Warwick Valley Rotary, has received the prestigious Rotary International Presidential Award, recognizing it as one of the top Interact Clubs in the world.

With a membership of 130, the club is the largest student organization at the high school. Its adviser is Jeanine Fogler and the student President is Jessica Buck.

The award was presented by Rotary District Interact chairman Skip Rottkamp. Rotary president Neil Sinclair said the group “has an important impact on the local community and beyond.”

Recent projects have included collecting 15,000 items during a food drive, sending shoe-box gifts to soldiers in Afghanistan and children in foreign countries, providing meals for 25 families at Thanksgiving and Christmas, helping senior citizens at Mount Alverno, collecting new toys for needy children at Christmas, donating $1,000 to the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry and $1,000 for Rotary’s community service programs.

The students also wrapped gifts and helped Warwick Lions and Rotarians with their annual holiday party for children.

Over the past decade, the group has raised about $40,000, most of which comes from their annual talent show.

Note date change – This year’s show will be held on Wed., May 12 at 7 p.m. at Warwick Valley High School.