Support of this year’s Hunger Banquet came as a happy surprise to the Interact Club.  The club received $2,000 in donations. Benefits go towards the Rotary Club of Tampa who in turn donate money to the non-profit organization Seeds of Hope for La Victoria, Dominican Republic.  La Victoria is also one of the mission locations supported by students from Academy during Mini-Course Week.

The much anticipated, annual Hunger Banquet took place Thursday, January 10, at Christ The King School. Interact Club members spent several weeks prior to the event preparing PowerPoint presentations, videos, sideshows, and speakers to ensure the audience would be informed of hunger issues that exist in throughout the world.

Upon arriving at their tables, attendees were randomly separated into first, second, and third-world nations and received dinner accordingly. First-world diners received an extravagant meal with a beverage of their choice, topped off with a chocolate cake dessert. Those placed at second-world tables had black beans and rice, and those at third-world tables had only rice to eat.

Academy science teacher and Interact Club Moderator Mrs. Rebeca Zambrano believes that besides raising money for a good cause, the banquet also drives home the reality of what it is like to be without food in a world with plenty to eat.  “The purpose of this exercise is to create further awareness of hunger in proportion to the world.”

The total of money collected from raffle tickets and donations included a check for $700 from one donor.  Overall, the Interact Club counted over $2000 in the collection but just as important the opportunity to show diners the human aspect of worldwide hunger issues.