Potential Development Establishes Rotary Interact Club

YOUNGSTOWN – Potential Development’s Interact Club is supporting the eradication of Polio with its initial project.

Potential Development High School has established a Rotary Interact Club, with 37 students currently signed up.

Rotary Interact, a high school version of Rotary for students age 12 through 18, encourages students who want to connect with their community and their schools. Clubs organize at least two service projects per year – one that benefits their community and one that encourages international understanding.

Sponsored and guided by the Rotary Club of Youngstown, Potential Development’s Interact Club’s inaugural project is the Purple Pinkie Donut Project, which has globally earned more than $4.7 million for polio eradication. 

While vaccinating millions of children in a short period of time, it is impossible to document which child has received the vaccine, so every child vaccinated has the little finger (pinkie) nail of their left hand painted with an indelible purple marker. Over time the “Purple Pinkie” has become an international symbol of a polio-free world. Through Rotary International’s efforts, polio has been eradicated in all by two countries worldwide.

For the Purple Pinkie Donut Project project, students collected orders for nearly 300 purple iced donuts, which were created by the Struthers IGA bakery. Four Potential Development students last week tagged the boxes of donuts with the order forms at the Struthers IGA.

Through the Potential Development school, students with autism in pre-K through 12th grade find a safe, structured educational environment, which gives them the necessary skills and independence to lead a productive life.

Pictured at top: Front row, from left: Amir McNeil and Preston Frost; back row, from left: Mary Jane Dunning, Sue Runion, Struthers IGA bakery manager, and Jaylon Dent.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.