The Interact Club is one of the most active clubs on campus. Each year we strive to maintain this high standard by scheduling activities and service projects to get the members involved in our community and to inform them of the many problems around us. We here at Interact like to believe that with small deeds can come big results, and that nobody is helpless to improve the world situation. We believe that we can do something when we have the will to. You have the will, Interact has the way!
Here is the list of activities from this year and past years for those Interactors out there who want to know what we do year 'round. We hope you enjoy this, and that you can find some good ideas. If you would like to share with us some ideas for future service projects, please feel free to email us. (The officers' email addresses are on the main page.) Enjoy!
Our Meetings
We have a meeting every Friday after school in Central Quad. The meetings
are outdoors, casual, and last about fifteen to twenty minutes. We come
together to discuss future events, pass around sign up sheets, socialize,
and just have fun.
Adopt-a-Grandparent
Every other Friday, directly following the meeting, we pile up in our cars
and all drive down to the Pilgrim Place Medical Facility for an hour. We
volunteer our services, socialize with the residents, and basically just
keep company with our "adopted" grandparents. This is our only regular
activity, and the easiest way you can get involved in the community. Often,
all these people really need is someone to listen to their cares, concerns,
and experiences. Get involved, come adopt!
The Great Ontario Graffiti Paintout
About every other month or so on a Saturday, a graffiti paintout is held in
the city of Ontario, where graffiti is very prominent. We meet in the
parking lot, arranged rides, and all drive down to Ontario (about fifteen
minutes away). They supply the paint, the rollers, and even pizza when we
finish! We go as a group to our assigned location and paint away. While
this may sound boring (we are painting over a wall...), this is a very
social event and also one of our most popular events. We have lots of fun
with friends, even when we aren't chasing each other with paint... Also,
because it does end at noon, we frequently also lunch together. Besides,
there is definitely satisfaction when you see a wall Previously covered in
graffiti clean and beautiful, even if you're wearing all the paint.
The Pomona Valley Hunger Walk
Every year, on the third Sunday of October, Church World Service and the
Pomona Valley Interfaith Council of Churches hold a 10 km Hunger Walk. We
participate every year as well, collecting pledges and walking the course.
The course is moved every year, but usually promises to be very scenic. For
this year, the course should be in Claremont! First, get a collection
envelope from an officer, and then collect your pledges. The goal for every
walker is $60, but members often get $200 or even $300! Then, show up on
the day of the way, turn in your pledges to PVICC, and check in with
Interact. Then, when the walk starts, go on the walk! You can walk, you
can run, you could even cartwheel if you really want! Many choose to walk
with a large group of friends, and, like every other activity, this is a
great time to socialize. Last year, PVICC raised over $100,000!
The Halloween Carnival
Every year on Halloween Interact members go to the Halloween Carnival held
in Cahuilla Park. The carnival is put on entirely by volunteers, and
staffed by student volunteers from all over. Interact members usually make
up about a third to a half of the staff, along with other volunteers, such
as those from El Roble Junior High School. The night can be cold, so warm
clothes are important. We man the booths, hand out free candy to children,
entice kids to play games, and divert traffic by running around in the road
with big signs. Really! A good time to be had by all, and you get to see
your friends in costumes! Besides, everybody, including all the volunteers,
get free candy!
The Canned Food Drive
For Thanksgiving, Interact holds its annual canned food drive. We place
boxes or bags in every classroom, and for a week and a half, we collect
cans. The homeroom with the most cans at the end wins a free bagel party or
donut party, the students' choice. We then load up all the cans, and bring
them down on Thanksgiving to the People Place, a small organization inside
our very own Claremont. Last year, we collected 2,217 cans! (After that,
we lost count). The food would approximately assist fifty families for
three days. So much yet so little. Special thanks goes out to teachers.
Nearly twenty percent of the staff participated.
The Pilgrim Place Thanksgiving Festival
Every year, we join in the Thanksgiving festival held by the Pilgrim Place
retirement community. We get control of a popcorn booth, a cotton candy
booth, and we man the Mayflower thrill ride. (Okay, the Mayflower is
actually a big truck which looks like a boat, and it gives a tour of the
whole community while teaching the riders about Thanksgiving. Still a
thrill!) Interactors staff for two hour shifts and get the rest of the day
to explore and have fun. Sno-cones, frozen yogurt, and all sorts of good
food are available, and there are games and exhibits. This is also one of
our more popular activities, since we get to hawk our goods: "POPCORN, GET
YOUR POPCORN HERE! ONLY A DOLLAR!"
The Winter Olympics
Every year, the week before winter break, ASB sponsors the Winter Olympics.
All the different clubs in our school compete against each other in games
such as food castle building contest (very messy, especially when the
whipped cream is put in...) and the shopping cart race around Claremont.
Interact participates every year, sending in a team of trained troublemakers
to compete against the best of 'em. This can get very messy...
Christmas Presents for the Crippled Children Society
With money donated to us from the Rotary Club of Claremont, we go on a
shopping spree to buy over fifty gifts for the Cripple Children Society.
We then get together and wrap every gift in a big mess of wrapping paper,
ribbon and Scotch tape. We then go down to the Crippled Children Society
Christmas party and hand out the gifts.
Mistletoegrams
For a fundraiser, every year right before winter break, we sell
Mistletoegrams. (Grams are little messages sent with candy that various
clubs do during holidays, such as the Gobblegram during thanksgiving) We
sell them for a dollar each, the buyer writes a little message, and we
attach a candy cane and mistletoe and deliver them to the recipients during
class. A great way to spread a little cheer before the holidays and make
lots of money while we're at it!
The Valentine's Day Carnival
Claremont High holds a carnival every year on Valentine's Day (February 14)
(or the Friday before, if Valentine's Day is during a weekend) at lunch in
Central Quad. All the clubs set up little booths and offer games and candy
and such, trying to raise funds for club activities. This year interact
sold clear heart shaped balloons with red ribbon and candy tied to the end.
We were very successful, selling every single balloon we had (over 80
balloons!).
The CMC International Fair
Once a year in April CMC holds an international fair, and Interact goes to
help man a booth. This is very similar to the Pilgrim Place Festival in
November. Interactors go to man the booth for a two hour or so shift, and
then have the rest of the day to explore and have fun with friends. In past
years we have manned booths selling different kinds of candy, like
lollipops.
The Carwash
This is exactly what it sounds like: we wash cars! The car wash is free,
and we leave a donation bowl out. We carefully position people to donate
while they wait, give them puppy dog faces, and ... Just kidding. Usually
carwashes are very successful, as many people donate, especially for a good
cause like Interact. Lots of fun here, especially with the hose and the big
buckets of suds. This is a popular activity because it's less intensive,
and people have plenty of time to socialize and have fun. Prepare to get
wet!
The Interact Assembly
Every year, an Interact in our area will host a conference for all the
Interact Clubs here. The purpose of these conferences are to help foster
leadership skills and to spread awareness of what Interact officers actually
have to go through. We encourage all members considering running for office
to attend this conference, as it is a great way to fully become aware of
everything that goes behind the scenes to run such a demanding club.
Members of almost every Interact Club around come to participate in the
workshops, awards are given, and everyone gets to eat lunch together and
share ideas. All Interact members interested are welcome, of course. We
encourage everyone who can come to do so, and share ideas for future
activities, fundraisers, and service projects!
Culture Week
As part of Claremont High's efforts to spread international awareness, every
year a culture week is held. It is coordinated by the student body (ASB),
and all the clubs set up booths, themed to the culture of the day. Interact
of course is a full participating member. Clubs can sell food, candy, small
trinkets, or whatever they can come up with. Culture week is like most other
fairs held by the Interclub Council, taking place in Central Quad at lunch,
so clubs can sell exotic foods for lunch as well as other snacks, candy, etc.
Seniorgrams
Like our Mistletoegrams, Seniorgrams are done at the end of the year for our
departing senior class. People get to write out short messages to departing
seniors, and we deliver the goodbyes to the seniors the last week of class.
"Don't know how to say goodbye? Say it with a Seniorgram!" What better
way then with a scroll and a chocolate graduating cap?!