Pancake Breakfast Nets Smiles and Food

For about the 25th consecutive year the Coquitlam Optimist Club hosted a pancake breakfast for the younger members of the Scouting and Guiding organizations. Beavers, Cubs, Sparks, and Brownies enjoyed pancakes, sausages, juice and fellowship. There was the traditional "Merry Christmas" written in pancakes and, of course, a visit from Santa. The cost of admission was a donation to the Food Bank. We're never sure who has more fun at this event - the kids or the Optimists! Look for more photos of the event on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123540293698.

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships for Student Essays

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $850 in prizes and an opportunity to win scholarships totalling up to $8500 in Optimist International’s 2010 Essay Contest.

The Essay Contest is open to students under 19 years of age as of December 31, 2009. Contestants must submit essays of 400-500 words in length on the topic “The Internet: Today's Evolution or Tomorrow's Menace?”

The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. The first place winner will advance to the Pacific Northwest District contest with the opportunity to win a $2,500 college scholarship. The District winner will advance to the international competition, where the prizes are scholarships of $6,000 for first place, $3,750 for second place and $2,250 for third place.

To enter, students must first fill out an application form. To receive the application form along with detailed contest rules and information on how to submit essays, e-mail us at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com. The Coquitlam Optimist Club must receive completed essays by January 31, 2010.

2009 Walk for Youth and Free Skate

Thirteen groups of walkers representing youth sports teams, school groups and choirs raised over $5500 at the annual Optimist Walk for Youth. The average earned per group was over $400 with some groups raising as much as $1000. The Coquitlam Optimist Club set up the 5-km walking course, furnished pledge forms and signs and served hot dogs and drinks to the walkers.

Meanwhile, a few hundred children enjoyed an afternoon of skating courtesy of the Optimist Club. The skaters contributed seven boxes of food for Share's Food Bank.

Optimist Walk for Youth - A Fund-Raising Opportunity

SPORTS TEAMS, SCHOOL GROUPS/PAC COMMITTEES, YOUTH ACTIVITY GROUPS: Has your organization lost government funding? Do you want an easy way for your group to earn money?

Join the Walk for Youth

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS WALK 5K … and collect pledges.

We look after all the event management, signage, promotion, advance/walk day registration and refreshments. Your group takes home 75% of the money you raise. Plus we’ll hold a bonus draw and match 100% of the winning group’s pledges up to $1000.

The 25% we keep covers our costs. Any balance that remains we put back into the community through our many Optimist programs such as scholarships, essay and oratorical contests, “Opti-bears” (teddy bears for children in crisis) and support for groups like yours. Everyone benefits!

WHEN: November 11, 2009
Registration at 12 Noon
Walk begins at 1:00 PM
WHERE: Coquitlam Recreation Center

To Register phone: 604 936 3649 (Rick Todd at Grapes 4U) or
Email: coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com

Annual Free Skate

The Annual Free Skate will be held at the Coquitlam Recreation Center on November 11 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Admission and skate rentals are free. However, participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank. The Free Skate is one way that the Coquitlam Optimist Club shows appreciation for the positive contributions of young people to our community. For photographs of previous Free Skates see http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=123540293698&ref=nf.

Optimist Club Awards Scholarships

On September 9, 2009, the Coquitlam Optimist Club presented Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships to nine 2009 graduates of Tri-Cities secondary schools. The scholarship recipients and their schools were Sadia Badiei (Gleneagle), Caitlan Beattie (Dr. Charles Best), Esha Chakraborti (Gleneagle), Sara Goncalves (Dr. Charles Best), Alexi Jablonski (Port Moody), James Kim (Riverside), Crystal Li (Centennial) Stevie Pan (Dr. Charles Best) and John Vandergugten (Archbishop Carney).

The $1,000 Robert Simms Memorial Scholarship is named in honour of a long-time School District 43 educator and counsellor, who was a charter member of the Coquitlam Optimist Club. The selection of scholarship recipients is based primarily on the students’ service to their schools and the wider community.

Esha Chakraborti and John Vandergugten, who are attending Simon Fraser University; Sadia Badiei, who is attending University of British Columbia; Caitlan Beattie, who is attending Douglas College, and Stevie Pan, who is attending BCIT, were present to receive their awards. Parents or siblings accepted the cheques on behalf of students attending universities outside the Lower Mainland: Alexi Jablonski and Crystal Li (McGill University), James Kim (University of Toronto) and Sara Goncalves (University of Victoria).

Optimist Club to Honor Scholars

On Wednesday evening, September 9, 2009, the Coquitlam Optimist Club will present scholarships to nine 2009 graduates of schools in the Tri-Cities area (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody). The scholarships are awarded primarily for the students' service to their schools and the wider community. There also will be a presentation on the Optimist Club's purpose and projects.