The Gilpin County School Interact Club sped up its philanthropic pace this school year after being in slow motion during the thick of the pandemic. This year they supported two fundraisers for very different causes.

The club at the school has been successfully leading projects since 2003 with the support of the local Peak to Peak Rotary club. Rotary International explains that, “Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Interact clubs organize at least two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding.”

This year the kids in the Interact club ran a food drive throughout the Gilpin campus. Students of all ages were encouraged to bring in nonperishable food items for the Gilpin County Food Bank.

Over the course of six weeks a huge amount of food was collected and delivered. Club members created reward stickers for students who brought in food items to promote the cause. The students who were charitable learned that giving to your community can be rewarding and fun.

It’s easy for anyone to donate. The Gilpin County Food Bank accepts donations in the entrance of the Gilpin County Justice Center.

The second fundraiser for this year is an ongoing Coin Drive - Penny War for the Duke Lemur Center located in Durham, North Carolina. The club brainstormed ideas for an international project and decided they wanted to do something for the endangered wildlife in Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, which lies east of Africa.

Being isolated from the mainland it developed unique wildlife and plant species of which 80%-90% are found nowhere else on earth. Unfortunately, as modern economic forces and a larger population develop on the island the many niche ecosystems are too easily threatened. More than 50% of the forest cover has been lost due to commercial logging and slash and burn farming practices.

On the island, the most endangered species are lemurs. These primates evolved in isolation for millions of years into more than 100 species. Lemurs evolved from the same common ancestor as chimpanzees, bonobos, great apes and humans. Each lemur species with its unique diet and habits is suffering from habitat loss. Climate change and tourism in Madagascar also further threatens lemurs’ way of life and the biodiversity of the whole island.

As part of Duke University the Duke Lemur Center celebrated 50 years of lemur research, education and conservation in 2016. The goal of the Duke Lemur Center is to preserve lemurs. Their conservation breeding program creates a genetic safety net for endangered and rare lemurs. Currently there are around 200 lemurs living at the center, while in the last 50 years 3285 endangered primates have been born there. The program specializes in noninvasive research that allows conservationists in Madagascar and abroad to preserve the species.

Along with conservation here in the States, for the last 35 years the Duke Lemur Center has managed and supported community based conservation work in Madagascar. They have built relationships and the trust of the Malagasy people and local governments while teaching humane care of lemurs and new methods of agriculture. They focus on sustainable processes to improve the lives of the population and forest life.

To support the Duke Lemur Center the Interact club is running a Coin Drive in the elementary school and a Penny War in the middle school and high school. In the elementary school the class that collects the most money will win a Madagascar dance party and enjoy their teacher wearing a lemur costume for a day. In the middle school and high school grade level classes will be competing by adding pennies and paper money to their jars for positive points. Silver coins will count as negative points and should be put in other class jars. The winning class will enjoy seeing their class sponsor wear the lemur costume for a day.

The Interact Club will also be accepting donations from the community. Donations can be dropped off at the front desk of the school or mailed to the school to the Interact Club Sponsor’s attention. Gilpin County School District, Attn: Curt Halsted Interact Sponsor, 10595 Hwy 119, Black Hawk, CO, 80422.