At U-High, the Rotary Interact club plays a vital role in serving the community. Led junior Vivaan Bommareddi and English teacher Cassandra. Graham, the club engages in various projects aimed at making a difference. One project involved addressing the need for diapers among mothers in local churches and organizations. Inspired by the success of past events like the pickleball tournament, Graham proposed a creative twist: Dimes for Diapers, a playful money-raising event similar to the Pennies for Polio concept.
“The fundraiser’s purpose was to raise money for the Paper Distribution Ministry at Wesley United Methodist Church,” Graham said. “The church distributes paper products like paper towels, toilet paper, hygiene products, and diapers on behalf of the Midwest Food Bank. The distribution occurs every third Saturday of the month, and it serves hundreds of families.”
The pickleball tournament not only had a large turnout but also raised $150 for the Special Olympics thanks to the winning team’s thoughtful choice.
Reflecting on the success of these projects, student Haley Martin expressed enthusiasm for future endeavors.
“Rotary club set up a pickleball tournament to raise money for a charity,” Martin said. “This was a huge turnout with many teams coming out to play in the tournament. Krish Patel and Yajath Narra won first place and got to pick the charity that the money would go to. They picked the Special Olympics!”
In January, Rotary Interact club began making actual preparations and setting the tournament date. All the preparations were made, and on the date of the Pickleball tournament things went smoothly. There was a $5 entry fee for each person on the doubles team, and about 15 teams entered. The students earned community service hours by helping with concessions, line judging, and setting up the bracket.
“We wanted to hold a fun project that can make money for charity and organizations, but also be entertaining for everyone participating. Rotary over the past decade has held dodgeball tournaments, which was similar to the newly hosted pickleball tournament this year,” junior Vivaan Bommareddi said. “Due to the growing popularity of pickleball, we decided to collaborate with the Pickleball Club so we could host our tournament.”
Rotary Interact is a club at U-High where students can join and help volunteer.
“The work we do helps local communities and organizations in need, but also gives students opportunities to gain volunteer hours for their work,” Bommareddi said.
