Westport’s 2 Rotary Clubs — Sunrise and mid-day — are among Westport’s most active organizations.
Each meets weekly. Members socialize, exchange news, then get down to the very important, hands-on business of improving their community, county, country and world.
Unfortunately, weekday meetings at 7:30 a.m. and noon mean that high school students — the future of volunteerism — can’t participate.
Every problem has a solution. Rotary International sponsors RYLA — Rotary Youth Leadership Awards — as a way of providing leadership opportunities to young people. And, of course, introducing them to Rotary.
Federica Nagar
Federica Nagar is part of that program. Now, the Staples junior is using that experience to bring Interact back to Staples.
That’s the club that “interacts” with the two Rotarys. She’s working with Sunrise president Eileen Lavigne Flug, Rotarian Jeff Cohen and youth program director Justin Phillips to launch Interact this fall.
But before it’s official, she’s already embarked on his first project.
The Duck Race 5K is part of Sunrise Rotary’s annual Great Duck Race. So in addition to the annual event — Saturday, June 1, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Parker Harding Plaza, with tons of activities centered around watching plastic ducks flow down the Saugatuck River — there’s an actual road race for human beings.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. that day, at the Imperial Avenue commuter parking lot next to the Westport Woman’s Club. The 5K race kicks off at 9 a.m.
All registration fees and other funds raised will support End Polio Now. Since being formed by Rotary Organization, they’ve helped eradicate over 99% of polio worldwide.
There are many ways to interact with good causes in Westport. It’s great to announce one more.
(For more information on the Great Duck Race 5K, click here. For tickets to the Great Duck Race itself, click here.)