Are they intrepid or optimistic?

One of my Optimist Club alerts returned the following news to me today, "Optimist Club donations 'zoom' to local charities: A couple of inches of new snow didn't stop 14 intrepid Optimists from showing up for breakfast and an informal meeting..."

Appearing in the Oakland Press, those two lines held plenty of hook for me to bite on as a follower of all things optimistic, but what really grabbed my attention was the word intrepid. Optimist is frequently accompanied by a plethora of modifiers, from average to zealous and all letters in between; however, intrepid is not a common one.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of intrepid is: characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.

From that definition, it strikes me that perhaps the reason that they are rarely used together is that intrepid and optimist are rather like synonyms. Those who go forward relentlessly hoping only for the best on their journey.

For the intrepid optimists in my story, they certainly plowed through a snowy Michigan morning to gather as the Royal Oak Optimist Club and as they do at every meeting, they passed around the Zoom-Zoom Car. The Zoom-Zoom Car collects change year-round for the community's Give-A-Christmas Year Around Fund. The Optimist Club is generally a top giver to this fund that serves different community youth groups including Common Ground, CARE House of Oakland County, Boys & Girls Club of Oakland and Macome and the Welcome Inn day warming center for the homeless.

The Zoom-Zoom Car has a history of its own; it was started by member Randy Booden, owner of a collision repair company in 1992. With his business, he had a reputation for fundraising in the community with remote control race cars and a classic car show. When he joined the Optimist Club, he brought his enthusiasm for the sport with him and the tradition stuck. That means for more than 20 years, the Zoom-Zoom Car has been helping the Royal Oak Optimist Club help its community.

Traditions are important for Optimist Clubs for they provide a story along with the legacy that your club leaves for its community. Do you have a tradition in your club? Please, tell us about it in the comments.

Fundraisers may create your identity

Fundraisers - big or small - not only help you accomplish your goals, they help create your Optimist Club's identity within your community. The Middleton Area Optimist Club in Idaho, only three years old, has become known in their community and the PNW Optimist District as the bingo club. Through monthly bingo games, they've raised enough money to host free movies in the park ( now at 10 shows and counting), be a major contributor to the fireworks display in their small town, and support the middle school athletic program at two school districts with tennis equipment. Additionally, they've started a Junior Optimist Club and collaborated with the Middleton Area Parks and Recreation District and the Middleton Fire District to perform a number of programs that needed volunteer participation to come to life.

But it's that bingo fundraiser that the are most known for and that's okay with them because through bingo, the Optimist Club mobilizes other people's money to do more for the community.

In Jennings, Louisiana, another Optimist Club has become known for its major fundraiser and that's okay with them too. The Optimist Club of Jennings, Inc. is the watermelon club. Throughout the summer, and especially over the 4th of July holiday, they sell watermelons, and few cantaloupe too, to help them fulfill the mission of bringing out the best in youth.

Does your Optimist Club have a fundraiser that makes them stand out from others in the community? Tell us about it so we can share the news.

Ontario youth gives back to the Optimist Club

Youths giving back to the Optimist Club, an organization dedicated to providing programs that benefit, recognize or involve children, must be on the upswing. This time it was Cohen Dunn in Arnprior, Ontario.

Cohen is participating in the "Who is Nobody" character education program at St. Joseph Academy. Among other things, the program helps children apply their own personal interests and abilities to provide service to a group or project in the community or world.

Because of their youth-oriented mission, Cohen chose to give back to the Arnprior Optimist Club. He held a yard sale and gave $131.25 to the Optimist Club.

Cohen is shown making the contribution to Optimist Club president Brad McKay.

Thanks for your consideration Cohen!

Photo credit: Derek Dunn

Scout Pack donates to the Optimist Club

In an unusual turn of events, the Breakfast Optimist Club of Warsaw, Indiana was the recipient of a donation from Cub Scout Pack 3736. The money was earned by the scouts at the Optimist Club's car show and was returned to help support the many youth oriented activities carried on by the club each year.

A quick visit to the Warsaw Optimist Club website told me that it is a very active club and I was quite impressed with the calendar of events scheduled from now, May 31, 2013, to September 10, 2014. Interestingly, the club's calendar is front and center on its home page. That tells me, the Warsaw Optimist Club is all about action and from the donation from the young scouts, I think they are about inclusion and collaboration as well. Good job to all!

The Footloose connection

I haven't seen the remake of the movie Footloose, but I like Blake Shelton's version of the song. In fact, so much so that I decided to highlight it right here for Music Sunday at Experience Optimism. It's a fun romp back to the 1980s even if the drive-in movie in the video feels like it goes even further back in time.



However, I couldn't highlight this song without thinking of Kevin Bacon and in six degrees of separation fashion, that leads to another thought, which leads to another thought and so on. You get the picture: one cannot mention Kevin Bacon's name without thinking about connections.

The greatest benefit of social media, including blogs and microblogs, is the ability to connect with others. Whether they be people you know or have yet to meet, and even some you will never meet in real life, the ability to share ideas, stories, current events and even opinions is inspiring and addictive. Kevin Bacon knows that and using the six degrees game as a launching pad, together with Network for Good, he started his own organization to help others raise money sharing their own six degrees stories.

"Everyday celebrities championing good causes" are the stars of SixDegrees.org. Find out how you can use the SixDegrees.org website to move your mission, cause or organization forward or log on and make a contribution to more than one million charities that are already registered at the site.

It's like being connected to Kevin Bacon --> Network for Good --> Your Charity --> You.

How to sell goodwill

Henry Graham, Sr. says that the secret to selling charitable Christmas Trees is snow and since the Optimist Club of Clayton, Missouri has bee hosting this fundraising activity for 64 years, I'm inclined to believe that he knows what he's talking about.

However, tucked inside this story from KSDK.com is what I believe is the true secret: goodwill. The Clayton Optimist Club connects with their patrons by snapping a photo of them one year and then giving it to them the following year as a "remember when" gift. What a cool idea.

The Clayton Optimist Club charitable Christmas Tree lot is at the corner of Forsyth and Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, MO. Stop by soon to have your picture taken and know that your purchase will help children year-round. That's pretty cool too.

Click to play video. Clayton Opimist Club on KSDK.com. 

Celebrating 40 years of philanthropy

The Optimist International Foundation is the 501(c)3 charitable division of Optimist International. It operates with its own staff and board of directors with the tagline of "Helping Optimists Help Kids." This year, the Optimist International Foundation is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The festivities began by launching a new website, up-to-date and user friendly, with pages for each district, and with what looks like the ability to feature stories about how the Optimist International Foundation serves Optimist Clubs.

Of course, the Foundation can only serve Optimist Clubs when they collaborate to serve the Foundation. It is sort of a chicken and egg relationship, but donations are needed to help the Foundation do more.

Commemorative pin 

So it should come as no surprise that one of the first stories is about how Optimist Club members and Optimist Clubs can help the Foundation celebrate their milestone anniversary. Individually, members do two things:

1. Purchase a limited edition 40th Anniversary Pin 
2. Make a dime-a-day and then some donation of $40 

Additionally, the Foundation hopes that Optimist Clubs and Districts will celebrate with a Fabulous at Forty party.  

Each District has been challenged to raise $4,000 with the parties and while the Foundation says that each host or hostess may decide the theme and ticket price of the party, it seems to me that it might be logical to charge at least $40 per ticket. 

Find out how to host your Optimist International Foundation Fabulous at Forty party here.

The Optimist International Foundation serves all Optimist Clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and other countries. In 1988, the Optimist International Foundation of Canada, now known as the Canadian Children's Optimist Foundation, was established to receive and distribute funds in Canada. 

Bring your classic car to the Beat the Heat Cruise-In

Car shows are a popular fundraising activity for many Optimist Clubs. This Saturday, June 25, the Optimist Club of Gresham, Oregon will host the annual Beat the Heat Cruise-in at  Gresham High School,  10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

There will be food, raffles, music, and a 50-50 drawing; plus trophies will be awarded in 23 categories and clubs have new opportunities for participating.  Vendor booths are available. 

There's so much happening at this annual event that you must click on the photo to enlarge and print. Bring the whole family and enjoy.

Beat the Heat is a program of the Gresham Police Department, sponsored by the Gresham Optimist Club, that works to keep drag racing off the street. Find out more about the Oregon Beat the Heat on Facebook. There are chapters in 35 states across the US. 

"The Achievers" help others achieve more

With all the sports programs sponsored and coordinated by Optimist Clubs, it's always nice to see there are projects that serve differently-abled youth. The Achievers Optimist Club of Carlsbad, California is one of the clubs that makes a point to reach out to athletes with physical disabilities.

Every year, they provide  support to the San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation. The money they give helps to ensure year-round access to a variety of sports, camps and clinics.

Additionally, the Carlsbad Optimist Club supports Special Olympics, the Childhood Cancer Campaign, Stand-up for Kids, Military Families, Kare for Kids and the Optimist Scholarship Contests for Essay and Oratorical.

The Carlsbad Optimist Club members are active fundraisers and carry out annual events like the Carl Tillinghast Golf Tournament, a Bowl-a-Thon, Night at the Theatre and Carlsbad Street Faires. One hundred percent of the funds raised by the club supports their work with children.

Thanks to the Achievers for the photo and story. 

"This is what we as Optimists do"

“We support kids in the community, and this is one of the things that we as Optimists do,” said Todd Winkel, Member, Brandon Valley Optimist Club.

In this instance, the Optimist Club was donating $905 to help defray the costs of school lunches throughout the school district. It is done nearly anonymously as the school food services director watches for students whose school lunch funds are running low and then supplements their accounts to be sure those children do not go hungry.

The Brandon Valley Optimist Club raised the money through the Annual Wild Game Feed. The wild game was donated from hunters in the community and included pheasant, geese, duck, caribou, elk and venison. About 250 people attended the event.

Formed in 2008, the Brandon Valley Optimist Club is located in Brandon, SD. They are known in the community for hosting unusual fundraising events. One of the fun activities occurred soon after the club was organized: Plunger Bowl 2009. Take a look at the fun.

Plunger Bowl 2009 from BIG John Small on Vimeo.

An active Optimist Club earns well-deserved recognition

At the last meeting of the Maryland South Delaware District - Optimist International, the Optimist Club of Mechanicsville, Maryland received multiple awards.

First, they were recognized for earning the Honor Club status, a recognition that signifies the club is doing everything right to ensure the continuity of the organization.

Next they received membership growth honors for adding nine new members and raising their club roster above 75 members. Member Kim Rye received  a special pin from Immediate Past International President Mark Shriver as a thank you for sponsoring five new members.

And finally, and most deservedly, the club was honored for having the best newsletter in the district. I haven't seen the other newsletters, but I have seen theirs and I think it is great! Please take a look at the March 2011 edition of The Northender, the official publication of the Mechanicsville Optimist Club.

The newsletter is eight pages full of activities that indicate to me this club is a fundraising machine. In March, they are hosting a live and silent auction, a yard sale and a Texas Hold 'em Tournament. On April 2, they are hosting a Fantasy Night dinner and dance. They have raffle tickets for sale and share in ongoing fundraising with the McKays Community Rewards Program  and a rebate to the club for Sandals Resort.

And guess what? In between all of that fundraising, they are hosting the Optimist International Essay Contest and a NOW (New Optimists Welcome) recruitment dinner; and they are planning a number of community service projects that include rehabbing a house for the Christmas in April program, a Halloween activity and Shop with a Cop at Christmas.

Congratulations to the Mechanicsville Optimist Club for your honors. Thank you for all you do to make your Optimist Club a vibrant, vital part of your community.

Service clubs thrive on competition

I admit, I had a twinge of schadenfreude when I read this headline, 'Kiwanis clubs clash over Bike-A-Thon.'  But then I read the article and felt a little bit of envy for the friendly rivalry that the two service clubs in Albert Lea, Minnesota share.

Bike-A-Thon takes riders on 100-
mile trip around Freborn County

The long-time rivalry between the Noon Kiwanis Club and the Daybreak Kiwanis Club centers around an annual 100-mile bike ride to benefit the American Cancer Society.  Every year, the presidents of the clubs make a friendly wager to recruit more riders to their teams, to garner more pledges and raise more money.

As they visit each other in the weeks leading up to the ride, their enthusiasm and word of mouth marketing entices more people to be involved. The prize to the winning Kiwanis Club is ownership of a traveling trophy. The benefits to the community are huge.

One of the greatest benefits of having active service clubs in a community is the organized group of volunteers they have at the ready for any community event. Of course some are more personal and members are more inclined to be involved, but in my experience, most service clubs will always try to do something when they are asked to help.

Activities like the Bike-A-Thon are perfect because all they ask for is time. Members choose if and how they want to participate. It is a bonus when the cause is such that it spurs an instant rivalry. Everyone benefits from the participants, to the organizers, to the ultimate beneficiaries.

If you are organizing an event, consider getting your local service clubs involved. You'll like the energy they bring to the table.

If you live in the Albert Lea, Minnesota area, please join a Kiwanis Bike-A-Thon team or make a pledge. Contact Kent Erlandson at 507.383.1840 to learn more. The 2011 Freeborn County Bike-A-Thon will take place on May 8.

Fundraising to scale

Due to culture, geography, needs and various other reasons, fundraising efforts vary by Optimist Clubs. Nothing can be more telling than the two different stories I heard today.

The first one came from Meridian, Mississippi and it warmed my heart. I learned that the Meridian Downtown Optimist Club had just completed their Annual Pancake Jubilee and after serving 2,700 happy patrons, they were $8,000 to the good. That money will be used for T-ball and other youth activities in their community.

Later in the day I learned about a major fundraiser conducted by the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club in Maryland that allowed the club to give away more than $100,000 in prize money. The event was the 28th Annual Boat Show. It is held in collaboration with the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Youth Foundation, Inc.  and organized under the joint control of the Optimist Club and the Worcester County Board of Education. The State Lottery Board is also involved and tickets priced at $100 each were sold online through the Lottery. The money raised by this event will be used for scholarships. Over the past 22 years, $1,386, 000 has been given away to students in the school district.

The second event made me think wow, what a business.

Compare the two examples. Consider how much more there is to be done in between. Then imagine how you might do the impossible in your community with the help of an Optimist Club.

You can turn your entrepreneurial spirit into a new Optimist Club and meet so many needs, big and small, and release so much potential right at home. Contact me to get started today. 

Encore! The Town Theater keeps on giving

One of my favorite Optimist Club stories of 2010 has returned to the news this week. In 2009, the Optimist Club of Chillicothe, Illinois purchased and restored The Town movie theater in downtown Chillicothe.  I believe this is a great display of how an Optimist Club can serve economic development goals.

In 2010, the club went on to have fundraising drives and a grand red carpet event for the opening. The entire community was involved.

Now in 2011, they are recognizing more than individuals for their participation in the cause and they are doing so with cash. Donations of cash  that is. Seventeen youth groups were on hand last weekend to share in the $10,000 profits that the theater earned its first year in business.

According to the Optimist Club treasurer Irv Latta, roughly each ticket purchased allows the Optimist Club to donate $2.79 to children's groups, clubs and projects. The message, everyone should see more movies!

Congratulations again to the Chillicothe Optimist Club on the success of this project and thank you for bringing value to your community.

Photo provided by the Chillicothe Optimist Club. Please read more from the Chillicothe Times Bulletin here.

How do you spell fun?

Is there a reason that fundraising begins with FUN? I think so, but maybe we should ask the Mid Day Optimist of Marshall, Missouri for their opinion. After all, they are the originators of the annual Adult Team Spelling Bee Contest - where all persons with good vocabularies and their friends go to enjoy an evening of entertainment in support of youth projects in their community.

I am always in search of new ideas to share on the Experience Optimism blog about activities that your group might do to raise awareness and money at home. When I came across the announcement in the Marshall Democrat-News for the 12th Annual Spelling Bee, I knew I had to find out more and share the project with you.

After two emails, I had the whole story from Michelle Pointer, Secretary, Mid Day Optimist Club, of how to put on a Spelling Bee fundraiser.

It is so well written, clear and concise, that I'm not going to attempt to rewrite it. Please read the project outline here: Adult Team Spelling Bee.

Of course there is more to the activity than a spelling bee. The evening includes a silent and live auction, food and adult beverages; but probably the most crucial element is recruiting teams to participate and their sponsors. The more teams in the event, the more money the group will make from their entry fees, not to mention from their bids on the auction items. And I think we all realize that we have more fun when we attend these types of events with our friends. Creating a reason to bring a group of friends together, to give them a team activity to participate in, sets a positive tone for the evening.

So yes, there is a reason that fundraising begins with FUN, even if the origin of the word doesn't support my theory.

Thanks so much to Michelle Pointer and the Mid Day Optimist Club of Marshall, Missouri for sharing their project with us.  

Braving the cold and ice for the kids

They survive cold weather, rain, sleet and snow and of course they celebrate the rare warm, sunny day in December. I'm not speaking of the US Postal Service, but rather the Optimist Club - any Optimist Club - that sells Christmas trees as their major fundraiser.

In a suburb of St. Louis, where the Brentwood Optimist Club has been selling Christmas trees since 1956, they say that this year's cold and ice is rare, but not unheard of. Regardless of the conditions, they plan to keep the lot open because their programs for children depend on their successful fundraising efforts.

Hear all about it from Rock Schmidt, an Optimist Club member since 1975 with an interview from KSDK.

Click on the link to watch the video: http://bcove.me/f5jponm3.

Video changed to a link on December 18. 

Service clubs sell year-round kindness

In order to do good deeds throughout the year, many Optimist Clubs hold Christmas tree sales. More and more those sales lots are challenged by other entrepreneurs who have taken to similar tactics to raise a quick buck. This year in British Columbia, one can purchase a Christmas tree from IKEA for $20 and that money goes to a youth choir that the store has chosen to recognize.

We speak often that we need our businesses to be good corporate citizens, so this is a good thing. However, it does point out that the local service club can no longer trust that if they open a Christmas tree lot on the corner that people will flock to it. Service club members need to be engaged with others in their communities so they can tell them about the Christmas tree sales and all the good that they are able to do with the money they raise. Members must invite their friends and acquaintances to buy from them and make a difference in the community.

Word of mouth marketing is essential to good sales. Tell your story and who knows - you might even gain a new member or two. Merry Christmas!

How to put found money to work for your Optimist Club

One of the things about nonprofit associations that is both endearing and perhaps sometimes annoying is our capacity for R&D - that is, to "rip-off and duplicate." I saw this great idea today on KTVB Channel 7 in Boise, Idaho.

With a big football rivalry between Boise State University and the University of Idaho taking place this weekend there are a lot of color stories out there about the universities. In this story, Professor Terry Armstrong describes how he accidentally started a scholarship fund from found money that is now worth nearly $300,000. His goal is to reach $1M.



So what do you think? Can your Optimist Club R&D this project?

If you like this idea, please join me in sending a check for at least $11 (his first year investment) to the University of Idaho, Found Money Fund, 714 W. State Street, Suite, 230, Boise, Idaho 83702.

Tell us about your positive outcomes

The Optimist Club Truckee, California is getting ready for Christmas...Christmas Tree Sales that is.  According to an article in the Sierra Sun, the sales are set to begin on November 27 and will conclude on December 23. Find out more about the schedule at the Truckee Optimist Club website.

The Truckee Optimist Club is a very active fundraising club. I enjoy watching their well-known Cannibal Cruise and know that they are serving the youth in their community because they tell us so on their website. Click here to see what the Truckee Optimist Club funds throughout the year.  

Does your Optimist Club website describe how the money from your fundraising efforts are used? Be sure to pass on the positive outcomes that you have on your community.

Fundraising With A Teddy Bear Parade

It's the first one for the Winston-Salem Optimist Club and maybe the first one of its kind. As a way to give back to the community, the Winston-Salem Optimist Club has asked the 1,100 children that participate in their club sponsored soccer program to bring a new teddy bear and walk in a parade. The teddy bears will be donated to Ronald McDonald House and other organizations with needs. Please watch the video for details.