Optimist Club Sponsors Choral Festival

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

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

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

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

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!