The MidCoast Interact Club announces the officers for the 2012-2013 school year. They are Lexi Doudera, president; Sarah Haselton, vice president; Caroline Albertson, secretary; Helen Carter, treasurer and Eliza Carter, sergeant at arms. Newly-appointed committee chairs are Elizabeth Lemar, club committee; Maddie Davis, international committee and Lindsey Brown, finance/fundraising committee.

The club has already had many accomplishments during the last year. They participated in the Rotary International End Polio Now Walk, raising more than $700 to donate to the cause. In addition, they raised $1,300 to fund their holiday project of providing duffel bags, complete with some essential personal items, to the Maine Foster Family program. Once again they participated in the annual Christmas by the Sea parade and provided volunteer support to both Camden Rotary and West Bay Rotary at their fundraising activities throughout the year. Four Camden Hills Regional High School 2012 graduates; and members of the Interact Club, participated in a service trip to Guatemala with Rotary District 7790. Megan Peabody, Mallory Farley, Hannah Sisk and Hayley Aydelott brought back an international awareness and encouraged the club to pledge $1,000 to purchase furniture for a new school that is to be built in Tioxya, Guatemala. The club has begun fundraising to fulfill this pledge.

The Interact Club’s third year is off to a great start as they have already participated in the UCan fundraiser for the Camden Area Food Pantry. They brought awareness to their community about Shelter Box, shelterbox.org, by manning a display at the Camden Windjammer Festival collecting donations to put towards the purchase of their third shelter box. Earlier this month, they participated in the 2nd Annual Rotary International End Polio Now Walk, raising an additional $800 to donate to the cause. Some other organizations they provide ongoing community outreach and volunteer support for are Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, PAWS Animal Adoption Center, Camden Public Library Book Sale and Lifeflight of Maine, just to mention a few.

Interact is a Rotary sponsored nonprofit, nonpolitical, international service organization for 12- to18-year-old youth. The MidCoast Interact Club is a community based club and is co-sponsored by West Bay Rotary and Camden Rotary. Interact has a membership of almost 200,000 youth in more than 10,000 clubs worldwide.

The MidCoast Interact Club meets every Wednesday, 2:20 p.m., in the library at Camden Hills Regional High School, except the last Wednesday of the month when they meet in the small lecture hall at 5 p.m. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 7. All interested, Midcoast 12- to 18-year-olds are invited to attend.

For more information, email midcoastinteractclub@gmail.com or facebook.com/midcoastinteract. Additional information on Interact is available on the Rotary International website at rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/YouthPrograms/Interact/Pages/ridefault.aspx.