Members of the Olds High School (OHS) Interact Club are gearing up for their 10th annual fundraising banquet.
It takes place next week on March 12 and will start at 5:30 p.m. at the high school. It will feature a catered dinner, speakers, entertainment by local performers, a raffle table and a dessert auction.
The Albertan sat down with Karlee Rosenbargo and Montana Durand, two of the OHS students involved with the Interact Club and the banquet to learn more about the event.
“The theme of our banquet this year is Interact accomplishments,” Durand said. “So throughout the banquet we're going to have a lot of displays set up — various things that we've done, various causes we've supported in the past.”
This year, proceeds of the fundraiser will go toward two causes.
“Our more international cause is Malawi Girls on the Move where we support a young girl who can’t afford schooling, as well as our more local cause being the PADS association, which is the Pacific Assistance Dogs association foundation. They’ve got service dogs that help a lot of people,” said Durand.
Along with a catered dinner and musical performances by students, the banquet will also feature a keynote speaker, Ashley Anderson, an OHS alumna (graduate).
“She’s been nominated through the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation for the prestigious Top 30 Under 30 award," Durand said.
Anderson will be sharing her experiences working with the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine on the Mama na Mtoto project in Tanzania.
That's an initiative involving Canadian and East African partners which is dedicated to improving maternal, newborn and child health in that country.
"It’s really, really cool to have an alumna come back and see where she’s gone since her time at Olds High School,” Durand said.
There will also be a raffle table that will have donated items available to be won.
“Through the school we have received sportswear like hoodies. We’re still looking for donations,” said Rosenbargo.
“In the past years, we’ve received everything from sports attire and hoodies to art to jewelry and even passes for certain activities,” Durand added.
Both Rosenbargo and Durand are pleased to be involved in organizing the banquet.
“It’s really nice for me to see everything come together. We work really hard on something like this,” said Rosenbargo. “This is our own thing that we can be proud of, so it’s a real accomplishment."
Durand, who has been a part of Interact Club for the past four years shares similar sentiments.
“I definitely like being involved with this, because through this event, and through Interact as a whole, not only are we supporting causes and giving back through this banquet, we are also creating network branches throughout the community,” Durand said.
Tickets are on sale at OHS and are $20 for adults and $15 for students.
