Up with the people

April 17 and April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the BC Cafeteria, bellevue college’s Rotoract Club served up baked goods in order to raise funds for Up With the People and the Bellevue Rotary. With the cafeteria lined with tables serving goods varying from chocolate chip cookies to double chocolate brownies, it was hard to miss.

Up With the People is an international anti-bullying organization. It is comprised of 100 international students who travel around the world and connect with children as well as set up anti-bullying workshops.

Some people may question why there’s a bake sale for anti-bullying. James Kang, Sergeant at Arms and future president of the BC Anti-Bullying Club, tackled the question. “We’ve done a lot of bake sales in the past. On top of that, we’ve been pretty successful with them. So why not?”

With the goods varying from one to three dollars, the club aimed to make as much as they could. Their recent bake sale, supporting funds for polio research, amounted to over $700. For the Anti-Bullying Club, they were aiming to raise money to help Bellevue Rotary bring Up With the People to the BC campus and surrounding community. However much the club makes, Bellevue Rotary will match in the attempt to bring the organization to campus.

As for the BC Anti-Bullying Club, they focus on helping out students who may need help or positive attention, as well as helping other clubs raise money for whatever cause they are trying to support. Their main projects derive from the Bellevue Rotary. “Wherever Bellevue Rotary goes, we go,” said Kang.

The BC Anti-Bullying Club is always preparing for upcoming events and constantly have something coming up. Coming up shortly for the club is the Idaho District Conference. In this conference, many schools come together to represent their schools and their progress in the fight against bullying. In addition, the Anti-Bullying Club also goes to Camp Good Times, which is a camp held for children with cancer. The Anti-Bullying Club helps out in the sense that they interact with the kids and ensure that they enjoy themselves.

For anyone that is interested or passionate in the fight against bullying, the Anti-Bullying Club is always accepting new members. To join, contact James Kang.