Pell City Rotary has a long history of granting funds to international and local organizations. Over the past three months, they have given grants to YWCA, The Mustard Seed Society, Hurricane Harvey Relief in Houston, Texas, as well as grants to local schools. 

Last week, Rotary presented Walter M. Kennedy (WMK) Elementary School in Pell City a check for $500 for their sensory room.  

“We have children that have very fragile sensory nervous systems,” Chasity Boyle, special education teacher at WMK said. “I have several students with supersonic sensors; noises are super loud for them. They can hear the hum of the fluorescent lights and vacuums are extremely loud.” 

According to WMK Principal Dr. Leah Stover, the purpose of a sensory room is to help students who are agitated calm down or students who are having difficulty with focus expel energy. Currently the school is designing an active space and a calming space, an active space for students that may be underactive to get them moving and blood circulating, and a calming space to help students relax, avoid meltdowns, and continue their day. Equipment would include special lighting, ball pits, swings and bouncy balls, crawling tunnels, tents, special seating that rocks or sways, and other items that provide sensory input. 

“It’s an amazing thing for the students,” Boyle said. “If they are feeling anxious, they can come to the room for five minutes and it really makes a difference. It benefits everyone.” 

Rotary will be hosting a tennis tournament, “Costumes on the Court” on Oct. 26 and 30 to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation, which provides grants such as the one given to WMK. Those interested in participating may contact Sarah Stewart at the Pell City Tennis Center, 205-338-6922 or email pellcitytennis@hotmail.com. 

Members of the Interact Club, sponsored by Rotary International, spoke to local Rotarians at Tuesday’s meeting. They will be hosting Trunk or Treat at the Pell City High School on Oct. 30. Interact Club provides candy for the other participating clubs. Trunk or Treat is open to children of all ages and is free. While costumes are encouraged, they are requesting no scary costumes. 

This year, the Trunk or Treat event will also have a haunted house for children ages 10 and up. The haunted house will be located at the Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts (CEPA). Admission for the haunted house is $3 per child.  

Interact Club will also be collecting white undershirts for the Col. Robert L. Howard Veterans Home in Pell City during the month of November. Donations of new undershirts (t-shirts, tank tops, etc.) can be made to the Pell City High School to the attention of the Interact Club.