Have a little fun with your pancakes

I have mentioned before how much I love an Optimist Club Pancake Breakfast. It brings the community together for a good cause and there's sweet syrup to boot!

One of the real attributes of a pancake breakfast, spaghetti supper, chili cook-off or other club fundraiser with food is it increases fellowship within our clubs. Our members get to laugh and enjoy one another and build true bonds of friendship as is demonstrated in this quick little video from the Cerritos Optimist Club. Enjoy.

Posted by Cerritos Optimist Club on Saturday, March 5, 2016

Project energy and enthusiasm

One of the biggest concerns or challenges that I hear from Optimist Club members is that they have trouble getting noticed by the news. Without going into details in this post about what would make an Optimist Club project newsworthy, I'd like to share a recent television interview scored by the Optimist Club of Lafayette, Louisiana. Its spokesperson was invited to share the details about the Optimist Club's haunted hayride during the morning show.

My concern on watching this interview was that the newscaster was more enthusiastic than the spokesperson. The spokesperson got the details of the event out there, but  she didn't give any of the positive emotions that one would want to feel about going to a community event.

Some tips for giving interviews:

• Be prepared. 
• Be ready with a soundbite - Succinctly state two or three key points that you want everyone to know.
• Be enthusiastic about what you are promoting. Project energy. Smile.
• If it is a serious story, share the gravity of the situation with the proper inflection of your voice. 

Engaging with the audience is an important element of public speaking whether one be in-person or on-camera, and every spokesperson gets better with experience. Kudos to the Optimist Club of Lafayette, Louisiana for making news.

Man sells 20,000 tickets to an Optimist Club pancake breakfast

Here's one of those odd stories about an Optimist Club member that just makes you smile. Mr. Bill Binner of the Fond Du Lac Optimist Club has sold 20,000 pancake breakfast tickets.

It started in 1971. Like many service club volunteers, Mr. Binner was given 45 tickets to sell to the club's first annual pancake breakfast fundraiser and he found the number daunting. Diligently serving his new Optimist Club, with a suggestion from his wife, he went door-to-door to meet his neighbors and sell his allotted tickets.  He went on to sell 200 tickets that first year and every year since he has topped his sales goals reaching the 20,000 mark for this year's annual event.

This marks 43 years that the Wisconsin Optimist Club has hosted Pancake Day. The event will take place Saturday, November 8, 2014, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., North Presentation Parish Center, 706 Minnesota Avenue, North Fond du Lac.

Photo Credit: Doug Rafik/Action Reporter Media. Read more here.

Pancakes advance our communities

As I grew up, the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast and Jaycees Fish Fry were social gatherings that families didn't miss. In addition to helping out the clubs in their fundraising efforts, attendees would visit with friends and families and in social parlance, they would just hang out and be seen.

For a small business owner, being seen in the community was an important part of their public relations plan. During the event, my father would field questions about new appliances and television problems; my mom would inquire about families and kids and both of their actions solidified relationships. There was no doubt that the majority of those they met at the service club event would visit State Radio and Television when it came time to purchase their next TV or appliance.

Times have changed. Service clubs hold fewer food-related fundraisers. My work with the Middleton Area Optimist Club has led me to believe that part of the reason is that it's not cost effective. By the time one purchases supplies and complies with food preparation rules supplied by the health district, the price of the ticket is likely higher than one would want to pay to eat pancakes on a parking lot. Not to mention, the one or two dollars that the club receives from each ticket isn't a big return on investment.

However, I must say that the way we socialize has changed as well. We text and email and reminisce with our friends on Facebook, making the annual pancake breakfast rather obsolete. That's why I was so heartened to see that the Optimist Club of Lebanon, Oregon finds its Strawberry Festival Breakfast to be part of the appeal to belong the club.

At the recent Biz Expo sponsored by the chamber of commerce, the Lebanon Optimist Club was there in force to explain what they do in the community. The Optimist Club Strawberry Festival Breakfast banner was there, front and center, publicizing the event; but more important, reminding visitors that when they support the community, they support each other.

I don't want to slow down technology. I'm all for advancing its power; but I would sometimes like to slow down time so that we are mindful of where we live and how a pancake breakfast put on by an Optimist Club has the potential to improve our relationships. Perhaps, coming together for pancakes  could advance our community one relationship at a time. Perhaps some traditions need to be revived for service clubs and all.

Post by Lebanon Optimists.

Bounce Fever in London, Kentucky

I often see Optimist Club projects that I want to "do at home." In other words, I want to take the idea to my Optimist Club and ask for volunteer members to be as excited about it as me. When we're all excited about something, we make it happen.

Of course, often times when I see a project, especially around the holidays - take the Oswego Optimist Club Pumpkin Races for example, we have to wait a whole year to make it happen. However, the project that I am highlighting today, playfully called Bounce Fever, can be done at any time of year. But putting it on when its cold outside, well that just makes it more fun. Kids love bounce houses and what could be better than a whole gymnasium full of them with unlimited access for a full day? 

Thanks to the London Laurel Optimist Club in Kentucky for the inspiration. I see Bounce Fever coming to a gym in Idaho very soon.

Hire an optimist

If you live in the Whitewater, Wisconsin area, here is a deal that you don't want to miss! Hire an optimist and you'll help support the University of Whitewater Student Optimist Club's service learning trip to Burkina Faso. Your contribution is tax deductible, you'll get some chores done around your home or business and the community of Burkina Faso will benefit from the talent and passion of some fabulous young people.


The UW-W Student Optimist Club has a history of making mission-style trips. in 2012 they worked with an orphanage, multiple schools and many underprivileged youth in four regions of Ecuador. While the onsite work is rewarding for both the students and beneficiaries, much goes on behind the scenes as well as the students prepare to go. Not only do they fund raise for expenses, they raise money to purchase needed supplies, hold clothing drives and learn about the region they will be serving.

In Burkina Faso, the group of students will be:

• Building computer lab
• Creating sustainable gardens
• Building a Student Optimist Club
• Delivering soccer balls and interacting with children 
• Delivering medical supplies, equipment and knowledge 
• Delivering educational supplies and hygiene supplies

But before they leave, they must raise enough money to ship an ambulance to Dedougou. It will be the first emergency vehicle in the African community. 

Find out more about the trip and how you can contribute to the Student Optimist Club's success: 

Download a flyer

Visit the UW-Whitewater Student Optimist Club blog

Or make a donation to the UW-Whitewater Student Optimist Club Service Learning Trip to Burkina Faso by sending a check to:

Optimist International Foundation

c/o Kim Adams

800 W. Main St. UC 250

Whitewater, WI 53190

Men's night out

I'm trying to decide if I like this program or not. An event targeted for men only seems a little bit sexist, but either way, raising more than $21,000 for youth serving projects is awesome! Great job, Yuma Optimist Club.

Somerton Youth Center receive donation
from the Optimst Club

Following a 35-year tradition, the Yuma Optimist Club recently held "Continental Night." Men are invited to attend and for their $300 entry fee they are treated to an evening that includes a steak dinner, games and prizes and a drawing for a car. In years past, the car given away was a Lincoln Continental, hence the name of the event; but this year, the club opted to give away a Ford Mustang. 

And it was certainly successful. One hundred and twenty men were in attendance. One lucky individual walked away with a new car and two youth-serving organizations received the generous donations courtesy of the men's night out. 

Splitting the $21,000 bounty from Continental Night were the Somerton Youth Center and the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club. According to Optimist Club spokesman Chris Townsend, these particular youth clubs provide outstanding youth mentoring and offer access to opportunities like no other. “These organizations are creative and afford a productive venue for our children to excel and grow as they participate and use what they learn at these programs in their everyday lives at home and school," he concluded. 

Both sound like great partners for an Optimist Club. 

Photo courtesy of the Yuma Optimist Club. 

It's an Optimist Sports Fiesta

Optimist Club of Coronado

The Optimist Club of Coronado, California will host the 42nd Annual Optimist Sports Fiesta this weekend, July 27-28, 2013. The event includes a 10k run and one-mile ocean swim on Saturday and a triathlon on Sunday for athletes ages 12 and up.

Adding to the fun and as a way to involve the whole family, other activities have been added this year. They include golf, diving and sand castle construction. July 20 - 28, Optimist Club members will be at holes 3 and 11 at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course to award a new quality golf ball to golfers who make a required good shot. The diving competition will take place on July 28 the community center pool and is open to all age groups. The sand castle instruction, construction and demonstration takes place at Coronado's North Beach on Sunday. Teams of five are invited to build.

All activities except golf have an entry fee attached to them. That tells me that the Optimist Sports Fiesta is a both a fundraiser and a fun raiser. Serving as a great way to help kids be active outdoors, it also helps fund the many youth-serving activities of the Optimist Club year-round. With 110 members, the Optimist Club of Coronado is a patron of its community. Click here to see just some of their beneficiaries. 

Photo credit: Optimist Club of Coronado

Donuts define this Optimist Club

"Krispy Kreme will do in a pinch," explains blogger Kerry Meacham, "but this is a donut so good that it is a tradition."

She's talking about the Shelbyville Optimist Club World Famous Horse Show Donuts. Once a year, as the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is held in late August/early September, the Shelbyville Optimist Club rolls their donut makers out to the fairgrounds to create what sounds like a bite of pure heaven.


Part of the tradition of the horse show is the trade fair that takes place at the same time offering local merchants the opportunity to profit from the visitors at the event. According to the marketing director, out state vendors make their way there too, and filling up the booths is a combination of recruitment and luck, but the Optimist Club donuts are a favorite. They never miss.

Of course the Optimist Club donuts say more about the community than they have tasty treats. It also says that there are adults working together to make Shelbyville a great place to live. The fundraiser demonstrates that local initiatives are carried out by caring citizens to improve the quality of life for everyone in the community.


Maybe the Shelbyville Optimist Club motto should be "with hope and tasty donuts, we bring out the best in kids and our community."


Photos courtesy of the Shelbyville Optimist Club. See the Shelbyville Optimist Club World Famous Horse Show Donuts slide show at the Times-Gazette.

Summer fun in Tucson means a trip to the pool

The Foothills Optimist Club of Tucson has donated more than $15,000 to the youth swimming program with the Marana Parks and Recreation District. Their giving continued yesterday, June 13, 2013, when they gave away 100 summer swim passes to area youths.

The kids began lining up early for a chance to claim their ticket to summer fun. The award was made official with a presentation to Mayor Ed Honea.

But the Foothills Optimist Club's support of swimming and the children of the Tucson area doesn't stop there. On July 20, 2013, the club will return for a fund raiser at Breakers Water Park. For a donation, adults can participate in an evening of dancing, gambling, and yes, swimming, should they so choose.

Find out more and register here to attend Splashjack Tournament 2013.

I think this sounds like fun. Perhaps a trip to Tucson is needed!

Truckee Optimist Club to host brew fest

The Truckee Optimist Club supports the youth in their community in a number of ways. They respond to requests for programs with special needs and those that have benefited recently include:

High School Athletics

Girl's softball
Swim Team
Cross Country Skiing
Alpine Skiing
Travel Fund
Symphonic Band
Cheerleaders
Football
Girl's Soccer
Track
Boy's baseball
Girl's volleyball

High School Academics
Student of the month
Oratorical

Cowboy poetry
Scholarships
Project Graduation
Year book
Computer
Sierra High programs
Young Authors
Drama club/play

Community Athletics
Jr Wrestling
Youth Basketball
Buddy Werner Skiing
Girl's softball
AYSO Soccer
Little League
Pop Warner football
Jesse Owens track
Teen basketball

Community Youth Activities
Girl Scouts
Truckee Scouting
Halloween
Children's museum
Wheelchair tennis
Bike Safety
Art for the schools
Individual youth sponsorships
Civil Air Patrol Cadet

Elementary & Middle School
Elementary Swim Program
6th grade environmental camp
PE transportation
Egg art & poetry
Field Trips

One might think that a list that long covers everything, but they would be wrong. Additionally, the Truckee Optimist Club awards four scholarships to high school graduates each year. The scholarships range from $2,500 to $4,000 each. 

The club's ability to fund these important projects comes from the success in their community events. Namely, the Cannibal Car Cruise, Christmas Tree Sales, and the Brew Fest. 

The Truckee Optimist Brew Fest is what caught my attention today because it is fast approaching. It will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Attendees will taste specialty brews from Northern California and Nevada breweries, enjoy live music and lots of fun at Truckee River Regional Park. 

They say it's a great way to kick off the summer. I agree! It's also a great way to support the community. 

Eco-friendly fundraiser

The Breakfast Optimist Club of Sacramento, California is planning for the new year with their first fundraiser and community service project all wrapped up into one.

The Sacramento Breakfast Optimist Club and Kohl’s will hold an E-Waste and Shredding Event on Saturday, January 7th, 2012 between 8 and 5 pm. at the Kohl’s Store Parking Lot: 1896 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95815. 

Shredding is scheduled for 10 to 2 pm. and a donation of $5/banker box is welcomed. This event is held as a fundraiser to help finance youth projects in our community.

E-waste is the fastest-growing waste in the country and frequently contains hazardous materials like lead and mercury, which can adversely affect the environment. Everything from laptops and desktops, televisions and cell phones are collected at the event. 

Following the event, equipment is property disassembled and recycled into raw materials to be reused to manufacture new items. All equipment is destroyed and recycled in an environmentally sound manner by a fully permitted recycling facility.

"Why not kick-start the year by giving your old electrical items a new lease of life and recycling them at our community event?" asked David Komar, Event Coordinator.  "Last year, residents participated in this free opportunity to safely and securely dispose of their electronics, and we are please to continue to offer this service to the community and help, protect the balance of our environment," he concluded.

For more information, please click on the flyer or visit the Optimist Club event partners Viking Shred  or Advanced Computer Recycling. 

50 years of Christmas tree sales for the Deerfield Optimists

Click for more pictures.

Another day brings us to another Optimist Club charitaable Christmas Tree lot.

This time we visit the Optimist Club of Deerfield, Illinois where they have been using the proceeds from tree sales to offset expenses for projects in their community for 50 years.

In fact, the Deerfield Optimists make it a point to reach out to the community with a project at least once per month with projects like Mudfest, the Halloween Hoopla and Optimist International Oratorical and Essay Contests and the Illinois District Just Say No to Drugs Poster Contest.

Please help them make even more happen in the community in 2012 by buying your tree at the Deerfield Optimist charitable Christmas Tree Sale at 836 Jewett Park Drive or get even more involved by joining them. Contact President Mary Lou Heinrichs today.

A model for giving back

He has said yes to help more than 100 community organizations raise money and given to dozens more causes. An immigrant from Pakistan, Hamid Chaudry believes in giving back to the community that he and his family calls home and he does so through his business and his kind heart.

Please watch the video from CBS News to learn more about what it means when Mr. Chaudry says, "God bless America."



Local business owners are called upon often to donate to service clubs, sports teams, church fundraisers and schools in their community. For the most part, they want to help. Finding business owners with the ability to use their business as Mr. Chaudry does to split fundraising efforts is always a blessing. It brings business to his establishment, benefits the charity or cause, and above all, spreads the spirit of community to all.

The next time your service club is looking for a donation, please consider that there might be a possibility to help your business community give back and get a little in return. Bring them customers and they'll always be there to support your cause. I promise.

Hot jazz in a cool setting

The Optimist Club of McCall, Idaho is planning an outdoor music festival right in the heat of the summer on August 13. The good news? McCall is a resort town, nestled in the mountains on Payette Lake. It's cool and crisp even with the sun at it's brightest and it is the perfect place for a weekend getaway.

The music festival is planned as the first annual Jazz on the Green featuring popular regional musicians including Paul Tillotson and Steve Eaton. The venue is the McCall Golf Club and lawn and deck seating are available. 

The McCall Golf Club approached the Optimist Club with the event idea and together they are raising funds for the Snowden Wildlife Sanctuary and the youth activities of the McCall Optimist Club. 

Tickets are available at the Pro Shop, 208.634.7200.  Spend a weekend in McCall and enjoy. 

Fundraising gets dirty

Although I now live in Idaho, my original Optimist Club was the Optimist Club of Granite City, Illinois. I served in quite a few district roles in the Illinois District, including District Secretary/Treasurer in 1995-1996. Because of my history, I try to pay special attention to projects in Illinois. Sad to say, the southern part of the state does not get as much press as the northern part of the state. It might have something to do with The Patch, the local, online reporting network. Kudos to the writers and publishers of The Patch for publishing local stories of interest, especially those positive stories performed by service clubs.

Today, editor Steven Jack submitted this dirty, mud-filled video of an Oswego Optimist Club fundraiser. Find out more about the popular annual mud volleyball tournament and fundraiser here.

Funky sounds for Music Sunday

Optimist Club members have many talents and I'm so happy to call so many of them my friends. About two years ago I had the good fortune to meet a talented gentleman, Bill Myers. Bill, who currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, was serving as the President of the Optimist Club of Indianapolis, the oldest Optimist Club, holding the first charter from when Optimist International was officially incorporated.

Bill is a legacy member for the club, following in his grandfather's and father's footsteps to lead. Bill is also, as his YouTube handle IndyProducer acknowledges, a producer and entertainer. Through his connection with Optimist Clubs, he has visited Barbados to perform and engage with other Optimist Club members and students who they work with. In April, he was invited to participate in a fundraiser concert for the Barbados Cancer Society in honor of the late Prime Minister, the Honorable David Thompson.

I enjoyed the funky sounds so much, I had to share them here with you for Music Sunday on Experience Optimism.  Please enjoy 'Bah Duey Duey' with Bill Myers and the Fellas.

Princeton service clubs build their community with laughter

In Princeton, Kentucky, the community came out to help build a place for kids to be kids, but that doesn't mean the Princeton Playground Project is over. Far from it. The Project is still underway and with the continued support of the Princeton Rotary and Optimist Clubs, they will be able to help maintain the playground in the years to come.

The story here is two-fold. First, service clubs working together to make their community a better place to live is always a good thing. This time, they are doing so and paying homage to a Princeton native who has gone onto a successful second career as a stand-up comedian. The Rotary and Optimist Clubs have invited 65-year-old Gid Poole to return to Princeton to share his new-found comedy genius with his hometown in a private event that will serve as a fundraiser for the Princeton Playground Project. Now that's community! 

Building, sharing and celebrating the accomplishments of the community and its residents is the spirit of service. 

Click to read about Gid Poole's new career in the Princeton Leader online. 

If you live in the Princeton area, save the date - February 19, 7:00 p.m., Fine Arts Theatre at Caldwell High School for a double bill of fun and funny: Gid Poole and Mike Armstrong. 

Optimist Club helps to save the Arlington Planetarium

The Planetarium in Arlington, Virginia was scheduled to be closed. It had a momentary reprieve when the School District took over funding the operational costs, but that was short-lived as it fell victim to the budget ax, losing more than 60% of the needed funding. Enter the Optimist Club.

When the Arlington Optimist Club's president-elect heard about the plight, he and his fellow members became champions of the cause. According to Brig Pari, they need to raise $402,000 by June 2011. There is no assurance of their success, raising money is always a challenge, but the good news is they have already raised $130,000.

The money will be used for more than operational costs. It will help the planetarium install new equipment to enhance the entertainment and educational value. To read more about the project and the Arlington Planetarium, please visit the website at http://saveplanetarium.org/.

Please consider making a donation while you are there. The Optimist Club thanks you; and so do the children in Arlington, VA.

Selling Christmas trees in Miami

Optimist Clubs sell a great number of Christmas trees every year, even in Miami. I saw this picture and I wondered, where do Christmas trees come from in the southernmost United States?

According to the Optimist Club of Miami Springs, Florida, their shipment came from Boone, North Carolina.  The tree of choice is the Frazier Fir and they sell for anywhere in between $25 and $100.

Like most Optimist Clubs, they plan to sell out of their 1,000 trees in 2 weeks. Happy selling!

See a related article in the River Cities Gazette.