Rochelle Township High School students are reaching out over 8,000 miles and making an impact on students in India while spreading Christmas cheer.
Interact Club is working with Dr. Prabhaker and the Rochelle Rotary Club to assist India’s Rotary Club. Interact Club is selling candy grams for $1 with proceeds going to purchase desks for students in India. The two Rochelle groups and Dr. Prabhaker are hoping to raise enough money to provide desks for 4,000 Indian students. Each desk will seat three to four students.
“Many schools in the area that we are raising money for have few desks or no desks at all,” stated club director Allison Mercer-Curtis. “We believe that these desks will significantly impact the students’ access to education.”

Interact club members are selling the candy grams offering students to purchase a sweet treat for a friend while spreading Christmas cheer and helping others. Each candy gram includes a candy cane and a note from the sender.
Parents and community members can also surprise a loved one in the high school through the purchase of a candy gram. To purchase a candy gram contact Mercer-Curtis as amcurtis@rthsd212.org. Candy grams will be delivered on Friday, Dec. 15. Interact club will continue to collect and deliver candy grams into next week.
Donations for candy grams may be dropped off in the RTHS front office.
Interact Club’s goal is to raise $5,000 to contribute to the desks. The candy grams are the first of several small fundraisers. Rochelle Rotary, India’s Rotary Club, and Rotary International have a goal of $40,000.
Interact club has grown from around 10 members in 2013 to approximately 50 active members this school year. The club’s moto is ‘service above self’ and yearly they complete a local and international project.