ALTON - This spring, students in the Alton High School Interact Club came together to raise money for the 5A's Animal Shelter and used the proceeds to purchase supplies for the shelter and create adoption starter kits for local families.
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The AHS Interact Club held a fundraiser competition between advisories, with the winning advisory earning a donut party. Students raised more than $450 largely through the collection of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
“We encouraged students to donate coins because it shows that we all can make a difference,” said Eli Heischmidt, president of the Interact Club. “Even small donations add up when people work together.”
Alton High School’s Life Skills class won the competition by donating loose change collected through the Redbird Store.
In addition to the money raised by students, the Interact Club received a $200 grant from Rotary District 6460. The grant required that the funds be used through an act of service.
Interact Club sponsor Matt Sanders, a teacher at Alton High School, said the idea for the adoption starter kits came after he recently adopted a cat with his fiancée.
“My fiancée and I realized how unprepared we were the day we brought our cat, Havoc, home,” Sanders said. “We had to stop at Walmart for essentials like a litter box, food bowls, and toys while Havoc was understandably stressed from the transition. Our students wanted to help make that first day easier for other families.”
The adoption starter kits include essentials such as food and water bowls, toys, poop bags for dogs, and litter supplies for cats.
“The kits give families the chance to settle in with their new pet without immediately having to rush to the store,” Sanders said.
Students also included handwritten cards thanking families for choosing adoption.
The AHS Interact Club is a student-led service organization sponsored by the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and focused on promoting leadership, volunteerism, and community involvement both locally and globally.
