The Optimist-Curl BC Raffle Is Back

The Optimist Clubs of British Columbia in partnership with Curl BC are offering a $5,000 cash prize in a raffle to support youth curling development. In addition, the Coquitlam Optimist Club will donate $1,000 to the eligible curling club named by the grand prize winner. There also will be eight $500 prizes.

Tickets cost $20 each and are available from your local Optimist Club or your local curling club. Only 1,600 tickets will be sold.

The money raised from the annual raffle funds “Optimists' Getting Started Camps” throughout the province. At these curling development camps, 15-17 year old juvenile curlers assist a professional trainer in teaching skills to the younger (9-11 year old) curlers. The 2011-12 raffle supported cluster camps in Port McNeill and Invermere (already completed) and camps in Quesnel, Armstrong and White Rock (upcoming in December).  Curl BC has provided funds for two additional camps in 2013, one in Merritt and another at a location to be determined.

The 2013 draw will be held at 4:00 pm on March 13th. The draws will be made after the final game of the Optimist International Under-18 Curling Championships at the Langley Curling Club, 20699 – 42nd Avenue, Langley, BC.

Purchasers must be 19 years of age or older. Know your limit; play within it. BC Gaming License No. 48831

Coquitlamites Try Something New at the Free Skate

The annual Optimist Free Skate on November 12 provided Coquitlam-area children and families an opportunity for two hours of no-cost recreation.  The numbers of little ones (and some not so small) using balance aids suggest that for many it was an opportunity to try something new. 

The official price of admission was a donation of food.  However, no one was turned away.  The donations produced 307 pounds of food for SHARE’s food bank.

See more photographs on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/CoquitlamOptimists.

T3C Doubles Their Donations at Walk for Youth

Teens Transforming the Community (T3C) is the winner of a donation from the Coquitlam Optimist Club to match funds they raised in the annual Walk for Youth. T3C, a student organization at Port Moody Senior Secondary School, entered the Walk for Youth to raise funds for Children’s Hospital.

The Coquitlam Optimist Club holds the Walk for Youth each year to provide an opportunity for community groups to raise funds for their organizations. All participating groups are entered into a draw, and the winner receives a matching grant up to $1000 from the Optimist Club.

Easy Fund-Raising That Works!

The Optimist Walk for Youth could be the only fundraiser required for your group’s fund raising needs.

75% of the money raised goes back to your cause.  25% will go to the Optimist Club, but we in turn donate to non-profit groups in your community.  The Walk for Youth is the only fundraiser of its kind that gives you 75% return on your money AND at the same time helps your community. 

PLUS each registered group is entered into a bonus draw - a grant to match up to $1000 of the funds raised by your group.  This is in addition to the 75% you take home.

Other fundraisers (pub night, cookies and pie sales, etc.) will give you up to 30% return if you are lucky. Optimist Walk for Youth gets you 75% return!

AND every walker gets a free hot dog, chips and drink!  What a great opportunity for team time and raising funds!

WHEN:         November 12, 2012

                     Registration at 12 Noon

                     Walk begins at 1:00 PM

WHERE:       Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex

Simply contact us at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com to register, and start collecting pledges.  Everything else is done for you.  The promotional/pledge package is now available here.

E-mail us if you have any questions.

Optimist Club Presents 2012 Scholarships

The Coquitlam Optimist Club has presented the annual Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships to ten 2012 graduates of secondary schools in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. The scholarship recipients and their schools are Arturo Bustillos and Ho Yi Kwan from Pinetree; Erina Cho, Tiffanni Hernandez, Maana Javadi, and Zoya Jiwa from Dr. Charles Best; Nicole Leung from Terry Fox; Juhae Oh from Centennial; Sachin Phadkar and Romina Qurban from Port Moody.

The $500 Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships are awarded primarily based on the students’ service to their communities. The scholarships are named in memory of Robert Simms, a long-time teacher in School District 43 and a charter member of the Coquitlam Optimist Club.

The scholarship recipients have chosen a variety of post-secondary schools both within and outside British Columbia. Arturo Bustillos, Erina Cho, and Zoya Jiwa are attending Simon Fraser University. Ho Yi Kwan, Juhae Oh and Sachin Phadkar are attending UBC. Nicole Leung and Romina Qurban are at Douglas College. Tiffanni Hernandez and Maana Javadi have chosen universities outside the province. Tiffanni is attending Florida International University on an athletic scholarship, and Maana is at McGill University.

Oliver and Philip Zhang were the guest speakers at the annual Scholarship Awards Night. They described their experiences at the Shad Valley Program, which they attended with the Optimist Club's support.

Shad Valley (http://www.shad.ca/shad/myweb.php) is a summer enrichment program with a mission is “to provide a transformational experience that unleashes the entrepreneurial and innovative potential of exceptional youth.” Participants spend four weeks living in residence at a host university, where they attend workshops and lectures that focus on the sciences, engineering, technology and entrepreneurship. Philip attended the program at Waterloo University in Ontario, while Oliver went to the program at Laval University in Quebec.

Optimist Food Services Back in Action

June was a busy month for the Coquitlam Optimists' food concessions.  We served hot dogs and hamburgers at the Teddy Bear Picnic, Customer Appreciation day at Poco Building Supplies, and Daisy Day.  At Daisy Day we also served a pancake breakfast to a wet but enthusiastic crowd.  We are pleased and grateful for the assistance from our members' children. 

Thank You for the Success of Our Spring Dance and Silent Auction

On April 14 the Coquitlam Optimist Club completed another successful fund-raiser, the annual Spring Dance and Silent Auction.  Thanks to the Coquitlam Curling Club’s Sunday Night and Tuesday Night Mixed Curling Leagues and to all our donors:

Austin Curves	Midland Appliances
Burnaby Mountain Golf Course,	Mr. Pet's
Brad Ewert Pro	Muir Investment Team
Canadian Tire	Safeway
City of Coquitlam	Save On Foods
Coquitlam Adanacs	Smile & Shine
Coquitlam Chrysler	Spikes on Austin
Coquitlam Express	Steve Nash's Fitness
Coquitlam Grill	Subway - Austin
Debonair Cleaners	Thrifty Foods
Deckers Hair Den	Tri-City News
Eaglequest Golf Academy	Vineco
Executive Inn	Wineexpert
Fountain Tire	Allison Pesche
Fraser Downs	Connie Pollock
General Paint	Duncan Ferguson
Genesis Day Spa	Elaine Mills
The Gillnetter	Griffin Family
Golden Boot	Ken Ryan
Grapes 4 U	Kim Tamoyose
Helping Families in Need Society	Marilyn Morton
Impact Canopies	Rutherford Family
John B Pub	Smith Family
Market Basket

Optimist Junior Curlers Win International Bronze Medal

“On behalf of this year’s Optimist International U18 Bronze Medal Champions we are writing to thank you for your generous support of our team and for your continued support of Optimist Junior Curling.

“Team Tardi of the Langley Curling Club has had an incredibly exciting and successful year. They formed the team this year, attending camps, including the Optimist sponsored High Performance Camp in North Vancouver, entering as many bonspiels as they could. They participated in and won the Optimist International Highpoint Division 1 banner and also came first in the playoffs, gold at the BC Winter Games, and at the beginning of April had the honor of representing British Columbia at the Optimist International U18 Championships in Toronto, proudly bringing home the bronze medal for BC. They are grateful for the opportunities they have had in many parts due to the incredible financial support that Optimist International has provided to the sport of curling over the past decade…

“We appreciate the support already given to the sport of Junior Curling by the Coquitlam Optimist Club and encourage you to continue supporting Junior Curling – it truly does help make dreams of these kids and the up and coming curlers a reality.”

– Letter from Anita Tardi, on behalf of Team Tardi

Team Tardi consists of skip Tyler Tardi, his brother Jordan, third, and Nicholas Meister, second, all from Langley. Lead Zachary Umbach is from Coquitlam. You can read more about their success at http://www.surreyleader.com/sports/146685325.html.



Optimist Club Announces Raffle Winners

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Optimist-Curl BC Raffle.  The $5,000 Grand Prize winner is Tim Enno of the Richmond Winter Club.  The ten $500 prize winners are: 

Optimist Junior Interclub Curling League for OI U-18
Rick Beason & Jack Guthrie, Glen Meadows Golf & Curling Club (Sidney, BC)
Heather Mulder, North Shore Winter Club (North Vancouver, BC)
Tyler Pankhurst, Nelson, BC
Brett Kidd & Brian Bauer, McArthur Island Curling Club, Kamloops, BC
Murray Duchnycz, Cloverdale, BC
Williiams Lake Junior Curling Club, Williams Lake, BC
Dave Fallis, Kelowna, BC
Joe Bauer, Elkford, BC
Pete Frey, Tunnel Town Curling Club, Tsawwassen (Delta), BC

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank-you to all who purchased tickets to support youth curling development!

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships to Student Orators

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $175 in prizes and an opportunity to win scholarships with values up to $2500 in Optimist International’s 2012 Oratorical Contest.
The Oratorical Contest is open to students under 18 years of age as of December 31, 2011, who have not graduated from secondary school. Contestants must give a 4-5 minute speech on the topic “How my Optimism Helps me Overcome Obstacles.”
The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place to local students. The first and second place winners will have the chance to advance through zone and regional oratorical contests. Regional winners will compete at the Pacific Northwest District contest with the opportunity to wins college scholarships worth a $2,500 for first place, $1,500 for second place or $1,000 for third place.
The Coquitlam Optimist Club’s Oratorical Contest will be held on April 18, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Big River Restaurant, #15-228 Schoolhouse Street, Coquitlam, BC. To enter, students must fill out an application form and submit it to the club by April 4, 2012. To receive the application form along with detailed contest rules and information on the contest location, e-mail us at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com. Contest rules and application form can be downloaded by following this link: http://www.optimist.org/Form/Oratorical_RULES_PAD-E_11-12.pdf.

2102 Junior Curling Raffle Tickets Available

The Optimist Clubs of British Columbia in partnership with Curl BC are offering a $5,000 cash prize in a raffle to support youth curling development. In addition to the grand prize, there will be ten $500 prizes. Tickets cost $20 each and are available from your local Optimist Club or your local curling club. Only 1,600 tickets will be sold.

The money raised from the annual raffle funds curling development “cluster camps” throughout the province. At each camp, 15-17 year old juvenile curlers assist a professional trainer in teaching skills to 9-11 year old novice curlers. The 2011 raffle supported cluster camps in Coquitlam, Sparwood, Squamish and Nelson. If all 1,600 tickets are sold, a larger number of cluster camps will be offered in 2012.

The 2012 draw will be held at 9:30 pm on March 26th. The draws will be made during the post-game celebrations at the Coquitlam Curling Club, 640 Poirier Street, Coquitlam, BC.

Purchasers must be 19 years of age or older. Know your limit; play within it. BC Gaming License No. 38907