InterAct members volunteered and attended a gala held at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford on November 9 to ensure that children can receive a higher level of medical care. The donations from the event would provide neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics and more for the children.

The theme of the gala was The Wizard of Oz. There were various references to the film throughout, such as giant lollipops at each table, a yellow brick road leading to the room and people dressed as the characters. The gala also incorporated a live act from the Cirque de Soleil.

“I really enjoyed all their decorations, and they did a wonderful job of recreating the Wizard of Oz in the Convention Center. Also, I really enjoyed volunteering with friends. We all had a very fun time. One of my favorite parts was the performance by Cirque du Soleil,” junior Simrita Dhulekar said.

During the gala, InterAct students were asked to help with the live auction. When a person was bidding, it was an InterAct member’s responsibility to get the attention of the auctioneer.

“I felt like we were a direct part of the process because we helped with the live auction and held flashing lights,” senior Secretary of InterAct Sydney Darling said.

The CCMC was able to raise over a million dollars by the end of the event. They auctioned a total of 85 items which were all sold by the end of the night.

“One thing I enjoyed was just getting to see how people at the gala were so generous in helping the children’s hospital,” Senior Vice President of InterAct Nivi Nath Nath said.

Club members shared that they were grateful to be a part of such a large event. Participants gained more than just service hours.

“It was an amazing experience that allowed me to become more in tune with up and coming technology that will provide better health care service,” senior Cailin Cruess said.

Senior President of InterAct Noor Taweh was responsible for delegating tasks, organizing the event and networking. She worked closely with Student Activities Director Russ Crist during the entire process.

“It was an honor and pleasure to see so many FHS students represent our school community and play a small role in helping to raise over one million dollars for the CCMC,” Crist said.

Nath also helped to coordinate the event and keep track of all the members. This was one of the larger events InterAct had participated in.

“It was something we’ve never done before. It was on such a larger scale and got our name out into the community,” Nath said.