The Cherry Hill East Interact club began its annual chocolate sale again last Monday, September 29 and will last throughout the majority of October. Each year, the club leaders select an organization to donate the proceeds of the sale to, and this year, all of the money raised will go towards the Animal Welfare Association (AWA). AWA is the largest no-kill animal shelter in South Jersey, dedicated to giving pets a home until they can be adopted, as well as providing affordable pet healthcare.
The chocolate sale follows the motto of Interact club, “Service above self,” which Cherry Hill East Activities Administrative Assistant and Interact club Advisor Ms. Deborah Barr has spread across the club and its projects since its founding. With each sale, the club aims to spread awareness and raise funds for the organization it chooses to support that year.
“[Teaching service above self is] a huge thing to me, and letting people understand…what it is like to just give?” said Barr. “[To] give selflessly, [to] give without getting in return? I want [the club members] to feel that. I want [them] to feel what [they’re] doing and not just do it to do it…just to add to a resume. Do it because it feels good.”
Olivia Mazzagatti (‘26), Interact Club Art Director and volunteer at the AWA, explained how excited she was to see the money go towards helping the animals at the shelter. As a volunteer at AWA, Mazzagatti will directly see the benefits of the money raised for the animals at the shelter and is very passionate about the fundraiser.
“[Club members should] have the interest of whatever organization we’re supporting in [their minds] first, rather than just selling chocolate,” said Mazzagatti.
Through the chocolate sale, Interact also gains more interest from students at East, exposing more people to the service opportunities they offer and getting them involved in the chocolate sale as sellers, not just buyers.
The Interact club has been running this chocolate sale since 2017, dedicating itself to supporting a new organization each year (disregarding a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Aside from the 2017 fundraiser, which was in support of the Puerto Rico hurricane relief fund, the Interact club has shifted its focus to more local organizations. In the last two years, the proceeds have supported the Sickle Cell Association of NJ and the Covenant House of NJ, respectively. The club partly does this so that its members can see the impact their efforts have on their community.
“We’re one of the few [clubs] that [raises money] solely for charity,” said Barr.
Last year, the Interact club managed to raise $2,750.00 for the Covenant House, showing the major impact their efforts can bring. This year, the club hopes to raise even more for the AWA.
Some of the Interact club members have also become competitive over the number of chocolate boxes they manage to sell. As a prize, the biggest chocolate seller will be awarded a five-pound chocolate bar at the end of the fundraiser.
Overall, Interact club hosts this chocolate sale each year to support the community and organizations like the AWA, truly choosing “Service Above Self” each mission.