Many of the booths in this year’s community festival were manned by RCHS students. One of these booths, representing the Community Anti-Racism Effort (CARE), was run by the Interact Club.
“Interact is a service club we have at the high school,” said senior and co-president Adam Webster. “It’s a branch of the rotary club, which is a bigger national organization. Our big appeal in the school is we let people do service, but it’s in a very relaxed environment. You serve how you want and when you want.”
Webster helped oversee the booth along with senior Charlie Hepner and sophomore Grace Wanovich. Their work consisted of handing out stickers and buttons to pedestrians, as well as helping them sign up for CARE’s newsletter.
“We help out primarily organizations from Lexington and Rockbridge County that need helping hands for their different events and organizations,” said Webster. “We have not worked with CARE in the past. This was the first time. But it’s less about ‘we are part of CARE’. We just help them with what they do. They just needed manpower.”
Wanovich had a different idea about why CARE asked Interact for help. According to her, CARE aims to give teenagers the chance to become a more active part of their community.
“I went to the first Interact executive meeting, and Hunter just said, ‘Hey, there’s this thing at the community festival that they want young people to be a part of,’ and I was like, ‘Alright, I’m a young person,’” Wanovich said. “So I guess they want to get more young people involved and out there.”
The CARE program has had a hand in such events as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. They needed assistance at the festival, and Interact lent a hand.
“Interact doesn’t necessarily endorse CARE, but they needed our help, and also, why wouldn’t you want to help an anti-racism organization?” said Webster.
Webster also had a good feeling about what they were helping CARE accomplish.
“Well, I mean our goal going in was that we were going to just help out this organization, but CARE is clearly spreading positivity,” said Webster. “We had a little bubble machine at the station, and I and others were passing out rainbow bracelets and MLK buttons, so spreading positivity and a loving feeling around Lexington was nice.”
Interact itself is also leaving a positive mark in the community.
“I’m hoping that it’ll open up my eyes and make me realize there are things out in the community that I can do, other than just pick up a piece of trash or something,” said Wanovich. “You know, actually be involved and be a part of something.”
Webster is not sure whether Interact will assist CARE in any future endeavors.
“It might happen in the future,” Webster said. “We’re sort of at the beck and call of organizations that want us to help them out.”