Giving back to the community has been an important focus for the Optimist Club of Allied Gardens.
The OCAG is a member organization under the umbrella of Optimist International [optimist.org]. Optimist International [OI] was founded more than 100 years ago in St. Louis and currently has more than 2,500 clubs worldwide. The motto of Optimist International is “Friend of Youth.”
The Optimist Club of Allied Gardens works primarily with youth up to age 18. We partner with schools in the Allied Gardens area such as Foster Elementary, Lewis Middle and Patrick Henry High School and we are available to help these schools in any way we can.
One of the projects we did with Foster Elementary was the construction and maintenance of the “Learning Tree” in the center of the campus. We also work directly with second grade children at Foster Elementary to mentor the students to pass the reading test which is required to advance to the third grade.
The Club also participates in the three Optimist International college scholarship programs: The OI Essay Contest in December-January; The OI Oratorical Contest in February-March; and the Contest for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing in May. The contests at the local [San Diego and Imperial Counties] level award a 1st place prize of a college scholarship of $2,500 and a change to compete in the International OI contests for an additional $22,500 1st place college scholarship. [One of our oratorical contestants won the International Oratorical Contest a few years ago.]
Local events in which the Club participates include an annual cash donation for the students’ raffle prizes for the Allied Gardens annual Holiday Fest; cash donation to local charities [e.g. San Diego Rescue Mission, Rady Children’s Hospital, or Ronald McDonald House]; collecting money for the annual Ronald McDonald House “Red Shoe Day” in mid-May; the annual “Stand Down” event in late July in the parking lot of the Pechanga Sports Arena for homeless veterans; and fundraising for the annual “Alzheimer’s Walk” in Balboa Park in mid-October.
The Club members meet on the first and third Thursday mornings for breakfast at 7:15 am at a restaurant in East Mission Valley.
You can contact President Dave Dickson at [email protected] for additional information.
Editor’s note: This copy was provided by Dave Dickson. (Courtesy photo)
