by Kara Benoit

Interact Club gives students the opportunity to work together to help their community.   Interact club members meet after school on Fridays to come up with ideas to benefit the community. Then, participants come together to turn their ideas into reality. Interact Club lets students at Oakdale High School have an outlet for their desires to help others and make their community a better place to live.

Interact Club isn’t doing this alone; it is apart of Rotary, an international organization dedicated to the betterment of all mankind. Rotary supports Interact club with  guidance and by providing fundraising opportunities, such as the annual fundraising event at Oktoberfest.

“Interact is unique because of its connections to Rotary and because it allows anyone who wishes to serve the community to be involved. Unlike NHS ( National Honors Society) anyone can join.” said Senior Jacqueline Courtney, President of the club.

Interact Club is always welcoming new members as part of their mission to encourage teenagers help others.This particular year, Interact has raised money for a Thanksgiving dinner for a family in need, purchased Christmas gifts for children at FMH, and organized a fitness event for Bright Eyes Day Care. The interact club is going out of Oakdale to make the community a better place to live.

“My favorite part is bringing members ideas together to create projects that serve the community, and then making these projects happen” Courtney said.  Upcoming events include: Relay for Life on May 15, Rotary Car Show in June, and a polio run on April 18.

Oakdale’s Interact club’s connection to Rotary means it’s also connected to other interact clubs in the county . The largest Interact Club in Frederick is Urbana, which has worked with the OHS in the past.  However, Oakdale’s Interact is still young, according to Courtney, “This is Interact’s third year at Oakdale. Oakdale Interact Club is growing and is hoping to continue being a positive influence on the entire community.”

If you would like to join, Mrs.Kimberly Fortney is the club’s teacher advisor.