Student Author: Amanda A.
Purple Pinkie Week, a fundraiser set up by Interact, is the week of October 21st. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness for Polio and gain money for Polio prevention. This disease is a paralyzing and possibly deadly disease that most commonly affects children younger than five. Polio is spread from person to person, usually through contaminated water, then attacks the nervous system. On average, it costs $3 to fully protect a child against Polio and $100 million dollars to provide Polio services worldwide. In 2017, a total of 430 million children in 39 countries were vaccinated with the help of the funds raised from Purple Pinkie Week. With the money that Interact raises, they cut a check with the local Rotary. The Rotary Club then puts that money into their Polio Eradication Fund.
Throughout the week (October 21-26), Interact will be doing fun fundraising to raise money for the Polio Eradication Fund.
Here is an itinerary:
Monday (at lunch): Pay to get your pinkie painted
Tuesday (morning): Pay to wear a purple hat (or to put a purple sticker on your hat)
Wednesday (at lunch): Buy a rubber band bracelet
Thursday (morning): Pay to wear purple
Friday (9th hour): Assembly
Every day (at lunch): Buy a cupcake
*Each event costs just $1!
Students and staff can donate money and participate in the fundraiser throughout the week. Some of the staff will be participating in the assembly on Friday. The community can get involved by sending money with their kids for the fundraiser.
The teachers who are involved in the fundraiser are:
Coach Bondy - glitter beard
Coach Lindhoff - wear a female outfit for the day
Coach Klingner - dye what little hair remains - wear it for a day
Coach Smith - truth or dare
Coach Watt - TBD
When asked how the teachers “win”, Mr. Jeremy Watt replied, “If their bucket collects $100 or more that week, then they will do the activity to which they have agreed at the assembly at the end of the week. The true “win” is when children in developing countries receive the Polio vaccination, which can save them from debilitating defects and even death. Last year, [Interact] raised $210, which became $630 after the matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”
Please help spread the word and raise money for Polio prevention!
Information credit: Mr. Jeremy Watt via google doc and
Rotary. 15 October 2019. https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/ending-polio.