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Potential Development Rotary Interact students advocating with Purple Pinkie Donuts

By Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters

October 25, 2023 4:00 AM

Students participate in first project, Purple Pinkie Donut Project (back row): Mary Jane Dunning, Struthers IGA Bakery Manager Sue Runion, and Jaylon Dent (front row); Amir McNeil and Preston Frost Potential Development

Potential Development High School established a Rotary Interact Club allowing students to engage in service projects during their education.

Potential Development is a Pre-K through 12 school in Youngstown for students with autism.

Thirty-seven students have already signed up for the club designed to connect with others in their community or school.

It’s sponsored and guided by the Rotary Club of Youngstown.

Interact is the high school version of Rotary for students ages 12 - 18.

They organize at least two service projects a year, one that benefits their community and one that encourages international understanding.

Potential Development Interact Club’s first project

For their first project, the students collected orders for purple iced donuts, which were made by the Struthers IGA bakery.

Almost 300 Purple Pinkie Donuts were sold throughout the school district by the students.

Rotary clubs sell these donuts advocating for polio eradication.

Four Potential Development students represented the Interact Club by tagging the boxes of donuts with the order forms at Struthers IGA.

What does the Purple Pinkie symbolize?

Oct. 24 is World Polio Day.

Potential Development Interact Club is specifically supporting the Purple Pinkie Donut Project, advocating annually for polio eradication.

Here’s the story behind the purple pinkies: “When vaccinating millions of children in a short period of time it is impossible to document which child has received the vaccine, so every child vaccinated has the little finger (pinkie) nail of their left hand painted with an indelible purple marker. Over time the ‘Purple Pinkie’ has become an international symbol of a polio-free world. Through Rotary International’s efforts, polio has been eradicated in all but two countries worldwide.”

Globally, the project has earned more than $4.7 million.

Learn more about the Purple Pinkie Project here.

Read the World Health Organization’s latest information about the two countries where polio has not been eradicated: Pakistan and Afghanistan.