Interact Students Win Beautification Project of the Year

The Scotts Valley High School campus is looking a little more spruced up these days thanks to the high school and middle school Interact Club kids.

The clubs, sponsored by the Scotts Valley Rotary Club, have taken on the task of making their community a better place and began with two projects at the high school, a tree planting and a mural dedicated to longtime SVHS custodian Daniel Garcia who died last year.

And it is those efforts, along with many others, that have gotten them noticed. Both the high school and middle school Interact Clubs have been awarded the Scotts Valley Chamber’s Beautification Project of the Year Award for their work on the tree planting and mural. The students will be honored on Saturday at the Chamber’s Community Awards Gala.

“I got very emotional when I found out they won this award,” said Scotts Valley Rotary President Randy Klein. “The fact that independent of Rotary they are being recognized is outstanding. Their commitment to working in the community, working hard and supporting one another is more than endearing. It makes me ecstatic to see this generation taking over.”

The was one that was long needed at the high school, which sits at the top of a hill, has very little landscaping and almost no trees, and tends to heat up very quickly in the warmer months.

The tree planting brought nearly 35 high school and middle school Interact members and Rotarians together for a day of community service, in which redwood, magnolia and ornamental pear trees were planted in a grassy area of the campus.

“The impact these trees have made at SVHS is substantial. Everyone who has been on the campus has noticed. Although the trees are just starting to get big enough to provide shade, kids are already crammed around them to enjoy the shade and appreciate the little bit of nature that has been brought to the otherwise barren campus,” said the Chamber in a press release.

The Interact Club acts as almost a mini-Rotary Club, following in Rotary International’s mission of doing good in the world.

Along with the tree planting and mural painting at the high school, Interact Club members also participated in a number of beach cleanups throughout the year, and the in the school’s quad in honor of Earth Day last April.

The Scotts Valley Chamber’s Community Service Awards Gala takes place Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce by calling 831-438-1010 or online at the Chamber website, www.scottsvalleychamber.com.