Though most students were eagerly awaiting the weekend ahead as they settled into their last hour classes on Friday, March 21, the Interact Club was excited to begin their annual Letters of Hope event to benefit students in Africa.
Nicole Pontious, the club sponsor of Interact Club, could be seen hurrying around the crowded cafeteria, looking for ways to keep the 13th edition of the annual event running smoothly as more Interact Club members filed in.
The Letters of Hope event is a fundraiser hosted by the club in partnership with the African Vision of Hope organization to assist children in Zambia with things like housing, water, food and education.
Ms. Pontious explained that the event’s focus around the organization, headquartered in Maryville, is to help ensure the safety of less fortunate students across the globe, while still getting EHS students involved in charity and public service.
Every year, the event consists of a speech, trivia games and prizes for those who register and attend, according to Ms. Pontious. The main event, however, is writing letters to children in Zambia to send with the profits they receive from the fundraising event.
During the last hour of the school day, the tables of a quarter of the cafeteria were set up and decorated, complete with a name of a student from Zambia who was benefitting from the program.
Freshman Paige Quiver explained that the participants are assigned a student to write to in the duration of the event.
Two Interact Club officers, senior Addison Yamnitz and senior Audrey Carr said writing those letters is something the club looks forward to every year because they care about helping others succeed in their lives.
The event is deeply meaningful to Carr because it feels good to be involved in something beneficial for people in need, and Yamnitz said the letters themselves are a fantastic way to communicate with children who are less fortunate and urge them to stay healthy and pursue an education.
“A lot of our letters are trying to focus on encouraging them to stay in school, because that’s something that they don’t hear a lot of,” Yamnitz said.
The letters from the event will go directly to children who are between the ages 14 and 21 and live on a campus together in Zambia, according to Ms. Pontious.
As a guest speaker from African Vision of Hope took the microphone from Ms. Pontious and gave an in-depth presentation of the organization’s history, she informed the group of other schools’ contributions as well. The focus this year, bedding, would be funded by the $10 entry fee students had to pay to register for the event and the other profits made from the event. In addition to EHS’ contributions, dozens of beds are being donated by Lindenwood University and sent to Zambia.
“These kids are provided food, shelter, school and the opportunity to pursue their education and go to college and beyond,” Ms. Pontious said.
Prizes were also given out and games were played throughout the hour, making the event fun and more engaging for the students, according to Quiver.
Yamnitz said the annual event is a fantastic way for the school to get students involved in something fun for high schoolers, while still engaging and making a difference with people across the globe.
“I joined [Interact Club] because I wanted to get involved and see what this school is all about,” Quiver said. “I think it’s good to realize how fortunate we are and use it to bring awareness.”