Rotary Interact students at the Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, 86 Montgomery Road,showed their organizing talents by putting on a great event to raise funds for their community projects. Here is the rest of the story.....
About 80 guests came out on the evening of March 27th to hear “Gardening Guru” Mark Cullen share his expertise on the joys of gardening, both indoor and out, answering many questions from the enthusiastic audience.
But Mark’s most important message was about the Highway to Heroes project he has been actively planning and supporting over the past 5 years, in conjunction with the Ontario Government.
“We are planting 2 million trees along the 401 Highway of Heroes” Mark said. “It is a tribute to the men and women who fought for Canada in our wars, and a living memorial to the 117,000 who sacrificed their lives for freedom.”
“When a member of Canada’s Armed Forces falls in combat, their final journey is along the Highway of Heroes which extends from CFB Trenton to the Coroner’s Office in Toronto”
When the presentation ended, guests quickly lined up to donate $50 to the Highway of Heroes Fund, for which they were rewarded with a personally autographed book by Mark.
Meanwhile, the enterprising Interact students were selling seedling starter kits ideal for a window sill or balcony, raising over $400 for their community projects.
Rotary Interact Clubs give students from age 12-18 the chance to make a real difference while having fun. Every Rotary Interact Club carries out at least two service projects a year: one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding.
Amongst the Projects they have supported are: Kids Against Hunger; Youth Without Shelter; Tokens4Change; clean-up James Gardens, and funding the Amarok Society sponsoring a woman in Bangladesh to learn to read and write.With a group of over 60 students, before Christmas, each year they write Santa Letters to Junior School students in the Philippines to reach out and connect with each other.
It’s all in the spirit of the Rotary pledge “Service Above Self”
Donations may be made to the Highway of Heroes at www.hohtribute.ca/rotary7070