Last Thursday we enjoyed the umpteenth annual Spaghetti Dinner catered by our HS Rotary Interact Club. The kids prepped with the help of Irene, Brian, Laurie, Bruce and Cathy.  Then the amazing Interact kids served and cleared and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned.Oh, my! We all  enjoyed the fellowship and the crowd of at least 60 who came out to cheer them on. 

Interact president Sarah Harris introduced the four other seniors in the Interact Club, and shared what the club has been doing recently, including hosting bingo at St. Andrews Village. As it happened, this correspondent was sitting at a table with Judy deGraw, a  St. Andrews resident, and she had already shared how out-of-control bingo can get with the right people calling out the numbers. 

The dinner was a fundraiser for the Student Aid Fund. Board member Louise Cowan shared with us that the Fund was originally started by our own Rotary Club over 60 years ago, and the last few years it has annually awarded over $500,000 in grants, and is on tap to do so again this year.  And so, Louise said to the Interactors, “Get your applications in!”  The Spaghetti Dinner will help out with a cool $650 raised.   

Looking ahead, on March 19, Marina LeGree will tell us about the organization she has founded, Ascend-Leadership through athletics.  Ascend provides opportunities for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan to access the benefits of sports, specifically hiking, mountaineering and rock climbing. The goal is to strengthen the skills of leadership and teamwork that come from sports in cultures that do not normally offer these opportunities.   

And then, on April 4, the Rotary Barn will reopen for the season, weather permitting. That Saturday, and every Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m., the place to be will be 66 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor. It’s the money we raise here that makes possible all the work we do in the community, including supporting our youth and the Food Pantry and so much more.  Already, Rotarians in pickups are making their rounds. If you have items to donate for resale, email rotarybarnpickup@gmail.com to schedule a pickup of your furniture, bric-a-brac, tools, and household stuff. No white goods, beds, sofa beds or athletic equipment, or anything too heavy to haul.  No, we don’t want to deal with a hernia either. 

Interested in learning more about Rotary and all the fun we have while giving back to the community?  Ask any Rotarian or come by the Clubhouse at 66 Montgomery Road on Thursdays at 6 p.m. or so for a social.  A scrumptious dinner is served at 6:30, the meeting starts at 7, and we are outta there by 8. Check us out! Or our website at www.boothbayharborrotary.org. You’ll be glad you did.