Wednesday, August 3rd marked the culmination of the Metro Omaha Optimist’s 14th Year of partnering with The Hope Center for Kids. Our “Summer of Growth and Opportunity” this year provided the youth with educational and fun field trips to Glacier Creek Preserve, Schramm Park & Aquarium, Bellevue Berry Farm, the Children’s Museum, and Zorinsky Water Park.  The youth earned these trips by participating in the Hope Center’s summer programs. The field trips, and planning, were handled by a very modest number of Optimists, the committee was headed by Michael McKee.  Other key members were Sue Penner, Carla Gries, Linda Wheeler, Dick Raasch, Ivan Wineglass, Bob Karcher, Beryle Lantz, and Al Penner.

In recognition of their accomplishments this summer, the youth were awarded 52 framed certificates — a boy and a girl in grade school, middle school, and high school — in each of nine categories. These categories include six pillars of character — Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship — along with Leadership Skills, Most Improved Person, and Exceptional Person. The Optimists volunteers served pizza, fruit, drinks, and root beer floats to about 130 youth, staff, and volunteers; they brought games for the kids. 

Fundraising for these events were accomplished through 11 Metro Area Optimists Clubs, corporate sponsors, and general fundraising. Vic’s Popcorn of Omaha donated popcorn for the August 3rd event, and Runza donated gift coupons for an ice cream cone to be used at Omaha area Runza Restaurants.  Gift certificates were provided by Scheel’s Sporting Goods and Walmart.  If you are interested in donating to future projects, please contact Carla Gries, dcgries@cox.net.

The Optimists, an international civic organization, was founded over 100 years ago. The motto is “Friends of Youth”.  In the Omaha Metro we support many great nonprofit organizations fiscally and through volunteering. If you’d like to learn more about the Optimists, contact Michael, 402-201-3518, or Dick, 402-681-4938.