Coquitlam Optimist Club

2102 Junior Curling Raffle Tickets Available

2012-01-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

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

Breakfast with Santa Fights Hunger

2011-12-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

Over 300 Sparks, Brownies, Beavers and Cubs (with assorted leaders, parents and siblings) enjoyed food, fun and a visit from Santa at the Coquitlam Optimist Club's annual Pancake Breakfast. Admission was by donation of a non-perishable food item. Thanks to the generosity of the participants, many of whom brought bags of edibles, the event netted 554 lbs. of food for the Share Food Bank. The youngsters left with full tummies, candy canes, balloon art and a sense of having helped the less fortunate.

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships for 2012 Student Essays

2011-11-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $175 in cash prizes and an opportunity to win a $2,500 scholarship in Optimist International’s 2012 Essay Contest.

The Essay Contest is open to students under 18 years of age as of December 31, 2011, who have not graduated from secondary school. Contestants must submit essays of 700-800 words in length on the topic “How my Positive Outlook Benefits my Community.”

The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 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 Pacific Northwest District includes Optimist Clubs in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

Optimist International sponsors the Essay Contest to give young people the opportunity to write about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. The approach can encompass a young person’s personal experience, the experience of their country or a more historical perspective.

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, contact Peter Smith (604-469-1514) or e-mail the Coquitlam Optimist Club at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com. The Coquitlam Optimist Club must receive completed essays by February 6, 2012.

Essay contest rules and application forms are available at the Optimist International website http://www.optimist.org/Form/Essay_RULES_PAD-E_11-12.pdf. However, all application forms and essays from local students must be submitted to the Coquitlam Optimist Club.

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

2011-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Join the Optimist 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. Plus we’ll hold a bonus draw and match 100% of the winning group’s pledges up to $1000.

We keep 25% of the funds raised to cover our costs. Any balance that remains after our expenses are paid goes back into the community through our many Optimist programs. This year the remaining funds will support Optimist Childhood Cancer initiatives. Everyone benefits!

WHEN:           November 11, 2011
                        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

Download a pledge package here (4 documents).

Don't miss the annual Free Skate that follows the Walk for Youth (1:30 to 3:30 PM). Bring a non-perishable item for the Food Bank.

Coquitlam Sponsors New Optimist Club in the Okanagan

2011-10-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club has sponsored a new Optimist Club to serve the youth of Vernon and the surrounding communities. The North Okanagan Optimist Club chartered on September 27, 2011, with 23 charter members. Past International Vice-President Sandy Larivee officially organized the club on behalf of Optimist International. Ed Murphy III, Governor of the Pacific Northwest District, and Peter Smith and Hal Griffin, President and President-Elect, respectively, of the sponsoring Coquitlam Optimist Club, attended the chartering ceremony.

The North Okanagan Optimist Club is the 50th Optimist club in the Pacific Northwest District of Optimist International, which encompasses Optimist clubs in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. The new club joins Zone 2 with clubs in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission and Coquitlam.

Led by Charter President Janice Mori and Charter Secretary-Treasurer Pam Hargreaves, the new club has already talked about running oratorical contests and other community activities. The club will also raise money to meet needs of young people in the Vernon area.

Optimist Club Presents 2011 Scholarships

2011-10-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club has presented the annual Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships to nine 2011 graduates of secondary schools in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. The scholarship recipients and their schools are Ian Chen, Centennial; Ashley Tam, Gleneagle; Cindy Ding, Pinetree; Christy Hui, John Hwang and David Hwang, Port Moody; and Ana Adriyanta, Marleis Bowering and Nicole Labayo, Archbishop Carney.

The $500 Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships are awarded primarily based on the students’ service to their communities.

The scholarship recipients have chosen a variety of post-secondary schools both within and outside British Columbia. Cindy Ding is attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, while Christy Hui is attending UBC’s Okanogan Campus. Ashley Tam is a student at Simon Fraser University. Nicole Labayo is studying at Douglas College, and Marleis Bowering is at the University of Victoria. Students who have chosen eastern universities include John Hwang and Ana Adriyanta, McGill University; David Hwang, University of Toronto; and Ian Chen, Waterloo University.

A Busy and Profitable Weekend

2011-06-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

June 11-12 was a busy Optimist weekend. On Saturday several Optimist stalwarts served burgers and hot dogs at PoCo Building Supplies to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Port Coquitlam’s oldest business. Sunday was the annual Teddy Bear Picnic. Optimists and friends assisted at the gates, operated a putting range for young golfers and had a profitable day serving burgers and hot dogs.

Special thanks to the Galer family (owners of PoCo Building Supplies) and Greg Graham (the company’s controller) for their generous donation to support Optimist sports programs.

Raffle Winners Announced

2011-04-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

The winners of the Optimst Clubs-Curl BC raffle were announced on Monday, May 28. The winners are:

1. Allison Sutherland, Nelson $5,000 on her birthday!
2. Sandra Dawson, North Vancouver $1,000
3. Robert Holland, Revelstoke $1,000
4. Bob Chartrand, Nanaimo $1,000
5. Joyce Young, Coquitlam $500
6. Kelly Hamm, Victoria $500
7. Brenda Nord, Sparwood $500
8. Anne Galibois, Marpole $500
9. Dave Fallis, Kelowna $500

Congratulations to all and thanks for your support! The raffle supports youth curling development camps throughout British Columbia.

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships to Student Orators

2011-02-26T15:27:00.001-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $500 in prizes and an opportunity to win scholarships with values up to $2500 in Optimist International’s 2011 Oratorical Contest.

Contestants must give a 4-5 minute speech on the topic “If I Were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I Would Address Would Be...”

The Oratorical Contest is open to students under 19 years of age as of December 31, 2010. The age limit has changed from previous years, giving older students a chance to compete.

The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $250 for first place, $150 for second place and $50 for third place. 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 win a $2,500 college scholarship.

The Coquitlam Optimist Club’s Oratorical Contest will be held on April 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Royal Canadian Legion, 2675 Shaughnessy St., Port Coquitlam. To enter, students must fill out an application form and submit it to the club by March 18, 2011. Applications and detailed contest rules are available at http://www.optimist.org/Form/Oratorical_Rules_Pad_10-11.pdf or by e-mailing us at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com.

Optimist International has been conducting Oratorical Contests since 1928. The Coquitlam Optimist Club is one of nearly 2,000 Optimist clubs in Canada, United States and the Caribbean that hold Oratorical Contests each year. Optimist International awards more than $150,000 in college scholarships annually from this program.

$5,000 Prize - Raffle Supports Young Curlers

2011-01-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

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 (BC Gaming License No. 111340). In addition to the grand prize, there will be three $1,000 prizes and five $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 camps throughout the province. At each camp, 15-17 year old juvenile curlers assist a professional trainer in teaching skills to the younger (9-11 year old) curlers.

The 2011 draw will be held at 9:30 pm on March 28th. The draws will be made during the post-game celebrations at the Coquitlam Curling Club, 640 Poirier Street, Coquitlam, BC.

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships for Student Essays

2011-01-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $450 in prizes and an opportunity to win a $2500 scholarship in Optimist International’s 2011 Essay Contest.

The Essay Contest is open to students under 19 years of age as of December 31, 2010. Contestants must submit essays of 700-800 words in length on the topic “How My Education is the Key to a Successful Future.”

The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $300 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 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 Pacific Northwest District includes Optimist Clubs in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. In addition, one international winner entered through an Optimist Club in Canada, the USA or the Caribbean, will have his or her essay published in the Optimist International Magazine.

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 the Coquitlam Optimist Club at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com. The Coquitlam Optimist Club must receive completed essays by February 10, 2011.

Additional information, including the application form, is available at the Optimist International website http://www.optimist.org/e/member/scholarships3.cfm. However, all application forms and essays from local students must be submitted to the Coquitlam Optimist Club.

Scouts and Guides Enoy Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club treated about 160 younger members of the Scouting and Guiding organizations to a Pancake Breakfast with Santa. Beavers, Cubs, Sparks, Brownies and their families enjoyed food, fellowship, balloon animals and, of course, the obligatory visit from the Man in Red. The admission price was a donation the the Share Food Bank. The event garnered 245 lbs. of food that will help to fill Christmas hampers.

Youth Appreciation Week Events Encourage Positive Contributions

2010-11-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club’s annual Youth Appreciation Week event on November 11 raised over $7000 for youth groups and netted 425 lb. of food for Share’s Food Bank. The Youth Appreciation Week celebration consists of two events, the Walk for Youth and the Free Skate. Ten organizations, ranging from sports to arts to community service groups, participated in the Walk for Youth. Each group raised from a few hundred dollars to over $1700 to support their activities. For the Free Skate the Optimist Club rented the skating rink at Coqutlam’s new Poirier Sports Complex and invited children from the Tri-Cities to two hours of skating at no charge. Skaters were asked to bring a donation for the Food Bank. In this way the Optimist Club encourages young people to help themselves and aid the less fortunate. At the same time Optimists recognize the positive contributions of our youth. (See more photographs of this event on the Coquitlam Optimist Club's Facebook page.)

Cheques were presented at an Optimist Club dinner meeting, where adult sponsors described the purpose and activities of their youth organizations. The Cloverdale Junior Curlers won the draw and received a grant from the Optimist Club to match the funds they had raised.

Optimist Free Skate - November 11

2010-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Come to the annual Optimist Free Skate on November 11. The event will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Poirier Sports & Leisure Complex (Coquitlam Rec Center), 633 Poirier Street, Coquitlam, BC. Admission and skate rentals are free, but participants are encouraged to donate a non-perishable item for the Food Bank. The event is one way the Coquitlam Optimsit Club recognizes the good things that the young people of our community do.

Earn Money for Youth Groups

2010-10-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

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

Join the Optimist 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, 2010
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

Optimist Club Awards 2010 Scholarships

2010-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club has presented Robert Simms Memorial Scholarships to ten 2010 graduates of Tri-Cities secondary schools. The scholarship recipients and their schools are Dora Du and Magdalena Gradowski of Dr. Charles Best, John Oh and Shima Bakhtiary of Centennial, Claudia Lee of Gleneagle, Tamana Aurom of Riverside, Katherine Liu of Heritage Woods, Germain Bralic and Michael Wilson of Port Moody and Stephanie Toth of 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. In addition, the students’ academic records must demonstrate their ability to succeed at post-secondary studies.

The 2010 scholarship recipients have chosen a wide range of post-secondary institutions. Students attending schools in the British Columbia include Tamana Aurom (University of British Columbia); Shima Bakhtiary, Germain Bralic, Magdalena Gradowski and John Oh (Simon Fraser University); Stephanie Toth (Douglas College) and Michael Wilson (University of Victoria). Students attending universities elsewhere in Canada include Katherine Liu (McMaster University), Dora Du (McGill University) and Claudia Lee (University of Ottawa).

Students attending schools in the Lower Mainland received their scholarships at a dinner hosted by the Coquitlam Optimist Club on September 8, 2010. Parents received the scholarships on behalf of out-of-town students.

The Coquitlam Optimist Club has been “Bringing Out the Best in Kids” since 1977. For more information about the club’s activities contact coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com.

Coquitlam Student Places Second in Optimist Pacific Northwest District Oratorical Contest

2010-05-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Selin Jessa, a student at Charles Best Senior Secondary, has won a $1500 scholarship in Optimist International’s Pacific Northwest District Oratorical Contest held in Newport, Oregon, on May 22.

Students from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, advanced through three levels of competition to reach the district finals, where Selin placed second. Noel Lai of Vancouver, BC, placed first, winning a $2500 scholarship.

Selin was sponsored by the Coquitlam Optimist Club. She won the club’s Oratorical Contest, placed second in the Fraser Valley zone contest and first in the British Columbia regional competition on her way to the district finals.

The Optimist Oratorical Contest was open to students under the age of 16 as of December 31, 2009. Each contestant presented a 4-5 minute speech on the topic “Cyber Communication: Progress or Problem?”

Oratorical Contest Winners Announced

2010-04-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

Selin Jessa is the winner of the Coquitlam Optimist Club’s annual Oratorical Contest held on April 21. For her first place finish Selin received a $500 cash award. Joylyn Secunda placed second and received $250. Third-place winner Sherwyn D’Souza received $100.

On April 24, Selin and Joylyn competed in the Fraser Valley Zone Oratorical Contest, placing second and third, respectively. Selin and the zone winner from Abbotsford have advanced to compete in the Regional Oratorical Contest on May 2 against students from the Vancouver-Burnaby-North Shore-Victoria Zone. The first and second place winners from that contest will advance to the Pacific Northwest District finals with a chance to win a $2500 scholarship.

Pictured (left to right): Selin Jessa, Joylyn Secunda, Sherwyn D’Souza; (standing behind): Oratorical Chair Peter Smith

City Awards Grant for Floor Curling

2010-04-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

The City of Coquitlam has awarded the Optimist Club a grant to purchase two sets of floor curling equipment for the benefit of children in the Tri-Cities. The club is still deciding how to develop a floor curling program but likely will make the equipment available to local schools.
According to Optimist Pacific Northwest District curling chair Al Kersey, as soon as you set out the floor curling equipment, it begins to attract kids. He demonstrated this attraction at the Fraser Valley Zone Oratorical Contest on April 24.

Optimist Club Sponsors Choral Festival

2010-04-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is sponsoring the Coastal Sound International Choral Festival’s
“Synergy” festival of youth choirs. Club President Earl Pollock recently presented a cheque to the CSI Choral Festival board. Subsequently, board members David Spence and Donna Otto (pictured with Earl Pollock) visited an Optimist Club meeting for a formal thank-you.
The Synergy concert, which features four world class youth choirs, will be presented at 7:00 PM on May 1, 2010 at St. Andrews Wesley Church in Vancouver. For more information visit http://www.coastalsoundfestival.com/synergy/.

Optimists Present Junior Curling Awards

2010-04-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

In March, Coquitlam Optimist Club members attended the wind-up banquet and awards presentations for the Optimist Junior Interclub Curling League, where Coquitlam and Abbotsford Optimist Club members help to present the year-end awards.
The Coquitlam Optimist Club and other Optimist Clubs of the Lower Mainland, British Columbia sponsor the Junior Interclub League, which provides competition for young curlers whose home clubs range from the Chilliwack Curling Club to the Squamish and Gibsons Curling Clubs in BC and the Seattle Granite Club in Washington State. For more information see the Optimist Junior Interclub Curling League website at http://www.optimistjuniorcurling.ca/.

Optimists Announce Essay Contest Winners

2010-04-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Michael Nadolny, a grade 12 student at Pitt Meadows Secondary School, is the winner of the Coquitlam Optimist Club’s annual essay contest.

For his first place essay on the topic “The Internet: Today's Evolution or Tomorrow's Menace?” Michael received a cash award of $500. Jenny Tan, a grade 12 student at Killarney Secondary School, placed second and received $250. Her brother Andy Tan, a first year student at UBC, placed third and received $100.

Michael’s essay has been forwarded to Pacific Northwest District Essay Contest, where competitors sponsored by Optimist Clubs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia vie for a $2,500 college scholarship.

Optimist Club Offers Scholarships to Student Orators

2010-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

The Coquitlam Optimist Club is offering $850 in prizes and an opportunity to win scholarships with values up to $2500 in Optimist International’s 2010 Oratorical Contest.

The Oratorical Contest is open to students under 16 years of age as of December 31, 2009. Contestants must give a 4-5 minute speech on the topic “Cyber Communication: Progress or Problem?”

The Coquitlam Optimist Club will award cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. 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 win a $2,500 college scholarship.

The Coquitlam Optimist Club’s Oratorical Contest will be held on April 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM (location to be announced). To enter, students must fill out an application form and submit it to the club by April 4, 2010. To receive the application form along with detailed contest rules and information on the contest location, e-mail us at coquitlamoptimists@gmail.com.

Optimist Day at the Races Nets Over $400

2010-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

On January 31, more than 60 Optimists and friends enjoyed a day at the harness races and raised $400+ to help fund Optimist programs. The organization even received a bit of publicity as the first race was named the Optimist Race - and shown as such in the program. Not a bad day when you can enjoy good fellowship, good food and at the same time be doing something to help kids!

Pancake Breakfast Nets Smiles and Food

2009-12-05T13:16:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-19T22:21:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-30T14:10:00.001-07:00

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.