- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Kettle kick-off Nov. 19
PUTNAM — The Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club will kick off its 25th year as organizers for the Putnam Salvation Army Office kettle campaign at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in front of the Putnam Municipal Building. The guest speaker will be Debbie White, Salvation Army Service Extension Coordinator. The public is welcome.
Look for the kettles at the Putnam Stop & Shop, Putnam Price Chopper, Putnam Walmart and Putnam Supermarket. A tap payment device is on the sign for easy donations. Club advisor Roberta Rocchetti said, “The Interact Club is excited to celebrate 25 years of bell ringing and looks forward to another successful year.
From December 1997 to December 2021 the Interact Club has helped raise more than $233,200 for Putnam’s Salvation Army Office. Kathi Peterson, Community Service coordinator of the Putnam office, said the money is used for the needy in northeastern Connecticut for utilities, rent and fuel oil. Recently there have been other groups to assist the Interact Club in this endeavor, including Boy Scout Troop 21 and 25, Creation Church, the Leos Club, the Quinebaug Valley Rotaract Club, TEEG and the Ashford Social Services.
Since 1997 when the Interact club was chartered, students from local schools stood by the red kettles and rang the bell for the local Salvation Army. The original organizers and advisors to the Interact Club were Pam Brown, Barbara Schreier, Paul Desautels, Bill McCloud and Dena Baskin. At that time there were kettles located at Kmart, Stop & Shop, Price Chopper, Walmart and Putnam Supermarket. A friendly competition between schools began with Putnam High School, Putnam Middle School, Tourtellotte Memorial High School, Woodstock Academy, Marianapolis, Killingly High School, St. Mary’s School, St. Joseph’s School, Ashford School and Putnam Science Academy. Rotarian Karen Osbrey, an Interact advisor, designed the Ring-a-Ling Trophy award for the student with the most bell ringing hours. This trophy has been passed down from winner to winner over the years. The most recent winner was Abby Smith from The Woodstock Academy.
.