Interact finishes year on high note
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Putnam Rotary President Doug Porter called the 2024-2025 Interact Club an “amazing group.” But for the Interact Club members it was just their usual — over the top.
Outgoing Interact co-presidents Sofia Thurber and Jane Ferraro listed their accomplishments in their address to club members. One of their touchstones for their Interact year was children and they added several activities to the long list of annual projects that centered around helping children, including gathering hundreds of dollars’ worth of new toys and delivering them to the Boston Children’s Hospital.
Projects included: Aug 2024: Volunteered at Now Kids fun Run, Collection of Backpack, TEEG Backpack Distribution, Gardening in TEEG community Garden; September 2024: Presented backpacks to DKH children and adolescent behavioral health center, NOW Lap Around the Lake Fun Run, DKH Cancer Survivor Picnic at Roseland Park, Assembled a scarecrow (Minion) to be placed in Rotary Park, Gardening at TEEG; Oct 2024: Gardening at TEEG, Zombie Fashion show, collected costumes for Halloween distribution, Participated in TEEG costume distribution, sold hot cider and treats at Great Pumpkin fest to purchase toys for the Boston Children’s Hospital; Nov 2024: Created Ornaments for the Elderly shut-ins, collected toys and presented them to the Boston Children’s Hospital, participated in Turkey Dip for Camp Quinebaug and raised $700; Dec 2024: “Competitive” bell ringing for the Salvation Army – raised $14,608; Jan 2025: Pizza Party for all bell ringing volunteers, Relay For Life kick-off meeting, made buttons for cancer survivors, created valentine cards for the elderly; Feb 2025: Volunteered at the Rotaract Trivia night, carved an ice block at Fire & Ice festival to raise money for our Heifer project - $436, Relay For Life meeting painted rocks; March 2025: Relay for Life meeting made bookmarks, volunteered at the Special Olympics Swim meet, gardening at TEEG; April 2025: Attending the Interact Conference, made posters for the Good Friday Food Drive, volunteered at the Relay For Life Pancake Breakfast with Easter Bunny, participated at the Good Friday Food Drive, held a car wash for their Heifer International project- $492; May 2025: Purchased $910 worth of animals through Heifer International, Volunteered at Super Hero Saturday, participated in Relay for Life.
After Interactors received their service citations for the numbers of hours they volunteered/worked, incoming co-presidents Paige Perry and Gabriell Cerasiello said they are excited about a new year of volunteering, adding they were inspired by the hard work of the dedicated leaders and volunteers. They said it is “so rewarding to look back on our time involved in Interact these past years and know that we’ve made an impact on something greater than our own lives.” They also complimented Putnam Rotarian Interact Club advisor Roberta Rocchetti, saying she “stops at nothing to encourage and motivate every last one of the volunteers I this club.” The two new co-presidents said they’d like to focus their year’s energy on “the urgent needs in our community — hunger.”
Citations went to: June Ferraro - 105 hours; Sofia Thurber - 88.5; Gabriell Cerasiello 42.5; Paige Perry 41.5; Isabelle McGlynn 35; Serena Smith 30; Kaelyn Tremblay 25; Sam Hachigian 12; Matthew Rybacki 10.5.
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New Interact Leaders
The Putnam Rotary Club Interact Club installed its new co-presidents and got its new year started. More photos Wed. night on our FB page. From left: Putnam Rotary Club President Doug Porter, Gabriell Cerasiello, Paige Perry and advisor Roberta Rocchetti. Linda Lemmon photo.