Optimists are rooting for Team Jack at the ESPYS

Optimist Clubs around the US and especially those in Nebraska are rooting for Team Jack today to win an ESPY award. ESPYS are the awards given by ESPN to recognize outstanding moments in sports that have been filmed in the past year.

They had an outstanding moment in Nebraska when 5-year old Jack Hoffman made a touchdown run in a game for the Cornhuskers during the spring.

A little over two years ago, Jack was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. While undergoing treatment, he became a fan of Nebraska football player Rex Burkhead. Rex, in turn, became a fan of Jack's and was instrumental in organizing a local chapter of Uplifting Athletes to raise funds for his cause. Rex also used Jack's name to lift his teammates spirits when they were down. "Jack's not giving up," said Rex, "and we're not giving up."

Late in the evening on April 5, Nebraska director of football operations Jeff Jamrog called the Hoffman residence to see if young Jack wanted to suit-up for the game the following day. The result follows in a dream come true for Team Jack.



After its first broadcast, the clip made its way through the talk shows and Jack and Rex were invited to meet President Obama at the White House. Perhaps the fairy tale will end at the ESPYs. Jack's TD run faces such other outstanding moments of the year as Andy Murray, the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years; Alex Morgan scores the winning goal in the Olympic semifinal; and Chuck Pagano's return to the Colts.

Outstanding, all, but it's tough to beat a childhood cancer survivor. They're tough and they're optimists.

 Click here to cast your vote now.

It's another grand slam for Homer's Heroes

Homer's Heroes are some very special baseball players in Lincoln, Nebraska. Coordinated by the Lincoln Optimist Club, this program allows kids, ages 5-17, with special needs and varying disabilities to meet-up six times in the summer for their swing at America's favorite past-time.

According to Jeanne Cuda, Homer's Heroes Chairperson, the program has been around since 1992. It started with twenty participants and this year there were more than 100. She described what  a recent practice day was like by saying, "Often we'll have tears from the parents. They've been working so hard to teach their child how to throw a ball and it's a wonderful thing to see."

Watch this great video by Dave Polzin, reporter with Channel 10/11 - KOLN-TV and you'll see just how special this "League of Their Own" can be.

Busy weekend ahead for the Blair Optimist Club

It's a new week! And it is a grand time to promote more of what Optimist Clubs do to make your community a better place to live.

In Blair, Nebraska, the Optimist Club is planning two events for this weekend. Both are worthy of notice. On Saturday, May 4, 2013, the Blair Optimist Club will host the 2nd Annual Pitch, Hit & Run Competition. It takes place on Little League Opening Day at the Blair Little League Fields. How's that for awesome cooperation between organizations?

The second event allows the Blair Optimist Club to collaborate with the Blair Police Department as they host  a Bicycle Rodeo on Sunday, May 5, 2013. The kids get free helmets and a bike safety check-up, and they ride through a challenging obstacle course designed to help them learn the rules of the road. Plus, all kids are entered to win a bicycle.

Optimist Clubs serve many needs in our communities. Working with other organizations makes the experience that much richer for all. Great job, Blair Optimist Club!

Please click on the photos to enlarge and download the flyers.

Hopping into spring

I'm not sure what it is about an Easter Egg Hunt that brings out the kid in all of us. Maybe it's the candy or maybe it's the memories, but Optimist Clubs around the the US can be seen this time of year getting ready for the big search. There will be candy, prizes, and the Easter Bunny himself right along with the most breathtaking three minutes of action as the kiddos scramble for the golden eggs.


The Optimist Club of Blair, Nebraska's Easter Egg Hunt flyer is shared here because it caught my eye this morning on Facebook. It's easy to read, the sponsors are easily identifiable, and most of all, for me, it looks hoppy. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean happy. It looks like spring is on the way.

Optimist Clubs are angels year-round

It's remarkable how soon Christmas will arrive. It's a good thing that Santa has helpers so he may reach all the households around the country in one night.

In Blair, Nebraska, the Optimist Club is doing their part to help with an Angel Tree project. The beauty of projects such as this is are they help everyone in the community to give a little to the cause as well.

I've heard it said many times that Christmas is for kids, and that is true, but I like to go just a bit further. Christmas is for the community. Kindness and generosity is demonstrated and felt the most at this time of year. However, if you join a service club in your community, you'll find that you give back year-round.

If you live in the Blair, Nebraska area, please consider joining the Blair Optimist Club. They meet at noon at Godfather's Pizza on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Or click here to find an Optimist Club near you.

Bingo!

For 132 consecutive months - that's 11 years! - the Norfolk Panthers JOOI Club in Norfolk, Nebraska has visited The Meadows, a senior and assisted living facility, for socializing and fun. One of the highlights is bingo.

The ritual dates back to January 2002 when the JOOI Club decided to visit The Meadows for a project and the friendship between the residents and students began. On September 21, 2009, the residents of The Meadows decided to become an Optimist Club in their own right, but not without the promise that bingo would continue. It has and it will. What a great way to span the generations. 

Thanks to Mark Claussen for the photo.

Father's Day in Omaha: A baseball player's dream

Photo via @flashesbaseball on Twitter

Updated 6/23/2012

Here is a story that brings my alma mater together with my interest in Optimist Clubs.

The Kent State University Golden Flashes made its first appearance at the College World Series. In honor of their achievement, the Optimist Club of Papillion, a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska, treated the team to a steak dinner and barbecue on Father's Day.

The team got to meet local children and their families and relax in a family-style setting to ready themselves for the next game. The coaches were honored with gifts and the team held an autograph session for the children.

According to event organizer and Optimist Club member Fred Uhe, the Optimist Club has been hosting a reception each year for one College World Series team and their families since 2004.

Kent State coach Scott Stricklin remarked, "Father's Day in Omaha, it doesn't get any better than that. It's every player's dream; it's every dad's dream; it's every coach's dream to spend Father's Day in Omaha. But that's where we are and we are thrilled to be here." Watch some of Coach Stricklin's address to the Optimist Club on YouTube.



Kent State opened with a loss to Arkansas and came back to defeat the No. 1 seed Florida. They fell in the final game to South Carolina.

See photos of the Pappillion Optimist Club and the Kent State Flashes on Flickr.
See more about the Optimist Club reception at Omaha.com.

Mentors through reading

It's JOOI of Reading Month in Nebraska. This is the month that students involved in Junior Optimist and Octagon International Clubs encourage others to read as they share the magic of literature.

According to the Nebraska District JOOI director, Mark Claussen, JOOI members participated in JOOI of Reading month in a number of ways including proclamation ceremonies with Governor Dave Heineman and Mayor Sue Fuchtman and reading to students in grades K-2 in five different elementary schools and at Head Start. They also collected and gave away 300 books to students.

Like any Optimist Club, JOOI Clubs are autonomous and can choose the projects that they think will benefit their communities most. I am always impressed when children engage with their younger cohorts. To offer friendship, serve as mentors or just a positive role model builds character for all.

Their adult sponsors are equally rewarded when they see the good deeds of time and attention being paid forward. It gives every Optimist Club member hope that optimism – and Optimist Clubs – will live on in the years to come.

I'm especially touched by this program because of my love for writing, but most of all, it is through the eyes of these children that we keep our ideas fresh and forward-thinking. Optimist Clubs, like all service clubs, stay vital and vibrant when we embrace the wisdom of all generations.

Photo credit: Mark Claussen

JOOI students help tackle hunger

The JOOI (Junior Optimist Octagon International) students in Nebraska were part of the Souper Bowl of Caring event that took place in conjunction with Super Bowl earlier this month.

The Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1990 as a way to involve young people in the fight to tackle hunger. Since that time more than $70 million has been raised for the cause.

The students shown here were involved in packaging meals for Mercy Meals. They loaded 2,000 bags, each feeding six people, for the continuing relief efforts to earthquake victims in Haiti.

York Optimist Club meets Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska

In addition to sharing fellowship and planning projects, during meetings Optimist Club members have the opportunity to learn many interesting things about people and activities in their communities.  In York, Nebraska, the Optimist Club recently heard from Joan Naber, Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska.

Ms. Naber began using a wheelchair in 1996, ten years after undergoing radiation treatments for benign tumors in her back, but she has never let her disability keep her from doing the things she loves to do. One of those things is volunteering. "The little things we do today, they may make a big difference in someone's life," she explained.

As a nurse and mother of three children, she has had the opportunity to be an active co-worker and volunteer. She looks forward to competing in Ms. Wheelchair America where she can share her message that individuals in wheelchairs are capable of doing what the same as others, just in their own time and way. Ms. Naber told the group, "In order to get through life in a wheelchair, you have to be an optimist."

Watch the video from the York News-Times and learn more about Ms. Naber's optimism. 

Optimist Clubs provide opportunities for play

In Plainfield, Indiana, the Optimist Club has scheduled youth soccer league sign-ups beginning April 2. 

In Boise, Idaho, the Noon Optimist Club is preparing for youth football sign-ups on April 17.

In many cities, Optimist Club baseball and softball sign-ups are well underway.  But in Lincoln, Nebraska, there is a special baseball league sign-up for children 5 to 17 who are physically or intellectually challenged.  This baseball league is known as Homer's Heroes and with the help of the Lincoln, Nebraska Optimist Club, children of all abilities get the opportunity to play. 

Using a buddy system, each child hits, runs, catches and experiences the excitement of team sports with the help of Homer's Heroes.  Find out more with this brochure.  http://www.lincolnlittleleague.com/images/Docs/homersheroesflyer2010.pdf

Student's essay published online

The Gretna Optimist Club of Gretna, Nebraska had more than 150 entries in the 2010 Optimist Essay Contest.  All students wrote on the topic "The Internet: Today's Evolution or Tomorrow's Menace?"

Preliminary judging was provided by Gretna High School faculty members.  The top twenty percent advanced to the next level of judging, an independent panel of judges who determined the top three winners for the Optimist Club.  Coming in first was Dustin Herring, second Madison Healy, and third Aaron Dittmar.  Dustin's essay will move forward to the Nebraska District Optimist Competition.

What is unique about this particular story is the newspaper's response to the contest.  They devoted space to to publish the winning entry.  What a great way to recognize our students. 

Photo courtesy of the Gretna Optimist Club.  Left to right, Aaron Dittmar, Dustin Herring and Madison Healy. 

ServeNebraska to recognize JOOI service leadership

Mark Claussen, Governor of the Nebraska District, shared on Facebook today that the Nebraska Optimist Clubs were invited to the Nebraska Governor's Conference on Service Leadership to discuss JOOI service  activities with adult participants.  They will also be providing some volunteer services during the confereince. 

According to Mark, this is the third time for their program to be recognized at the Governor's Conference.  In 2007 they were presented weiht the First Lady's Community Service Award. 

Congratualtions Mark and to all of the JOOI members that you represent.

The Governor's Conference on Service Leadership will be held April 8, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel, Omaha, NE.  It organized through ServeNebraska. 

Optimist Clubs make great mentors

Optimist Clubs are involved in keeping kids away from drugs.  Some sponsor drug awareness programs such as DARE and others have developed programs of their own.  I recently discovered that the Auburn Optimist Club in Auburn, Nebraska has a solid collaboration with the major drug resistance program in their community.

The project is the Nemaha Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse (NADAA) Coalition.  Several area groups collaborate to make this coalition work. The school district is the partner in education and youth leadership is given over to the students themselves with the Youth Against Drug and Alcohol (YADA) Task Force.  Service clubs and individual volunteers work with these groups to provide different aspects of the program including education, funding, hospitality and mentoring for projects.

The Auburn Optimist Club is a mentor for YADA.  They help put on dances and carry out the Red Ribbon Awareness program.  They also help with fundraising by offering the students the opportunity to work in the club's firework stand.  The mentoring projects allow the participants to learn valuable social and business skills that they also share with their peers.

The Auburn Optimist Club received a Meritorious Service Award from the City for their service, but I bet their true delight was in turn recognizing the students for their great work.  Congratulations to all!

Optimist Clubs sponsor Punt, Pass & Kick

Boys and girls get to show off their football skills during annual Punt, Pass & Kick Competitions throughout the United States.  Many Optimist Clubs sponsor the competetion because it fits nicely with the Tri-Star Sports programs aimed at teaching basic skills to students in baseball, football and soccer. 

Shown here are two contestants in McCook, Nebraska.  The Optimist Club partners with Weiland Field and the NFL for the competition.