How We Help
Scholarships
Each year the St Thomas Optimist provides scholarships to 6 secondary school students.
Optimist International sponsors two scholarship contests for students to earn money to pursue opportunities in higher education: the Essay Contest and the Oratorical Contest. The contests are conducted at the Club level, then Zone and Regional (if necessary) and at the District level. District-level scholarships are funded by the Optimist International Foundations and awarded by Optimist International. Essay Contest This contest requires students under 18 as of October 1, 2016 and who are educated in Canada to compose a 700- to 800-word essay around a central idea. The contest is designed to develop writing and critical thinking skills. One scholarship of $2,500 per District is awarded by Optimist International each year. For more information, click here. Oratorical Contest The Oratorical Contest is open to students under 18 as of October 1, 2016 and who are educated in Canada. Students are required to prepare a 4- to 5-minute speech on a pre-assigned topic. This contest is designed to assist youth in gaining public speaking experience and provide them with an opportunity to compete for a scholarship. For more information, click here. *Optimist International scholarships are made possible by you and your Optimist Club’s donations to the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation. |
Helping Kids
Our club helps kids by running bike repair events, children's festivals, public speaking and essay contest and developing sustainable family oriented parks.
Respect for Law/Promotion of Non-Violence Optimist Clubs participate in activities to inspire respect for law enforcement among young people and to educate them on the jobs these brave men and women perform. Events are also held to promote a sense of well-being in the community such as child ID events, poster or essay contests on alternatives to violence and various family-friendly activities. Youth Appreciation Optimists recognize youth for a variety of reasons, including their achievements at school, dedication to community service, improvement in their grades and doing their best in sports or the arts. This activity allows Optimists to build the self-esteem of the youth in their community and show them that their efforts and hard work really do make a difference. Youth Safety This activity includes teaching youth about important safety issues that they encounter every day, such as traveling in a car or on the school bus and riding their bike. Optimist events such as a bicycle rodeo can make learning safety skills fun for everyone involved. Childhood Cancer Campaign Optimist members have always been committed to be part of the leading force to rid the world of childhood cancer. For more information or how to donate please click here. |
Events
Each year our Optimist Club hosts a number of events to raise funds for our programs and events that are centred around Bringing Out The Best In Kids
Optimist Santa Claus Parade The Santa Claus Parade is an evening lighted parade held on the 3rd Saturday in November starting at 6pm and proceeds through downtown St Thomas to the delight of 1000's of smiling faces. Children's Festival The Children's Festival is a family event held every 2 years in Optimist Park at 330 Chestnut Street, St Thomas. Displays include the St Thomas Fire Department brings a fire truck, face painting, the Snake Lady display, karate and dance demonstrations and 6 bicycle are given away to 6 happy winners. And of course everyone gets a free hot dog and pop! Fathers Day BBQ As a fundraiser, our Optimist members spend Father's Day at the Lion's Club Car Show in Pinafore Park to BBQ 1000 hotdogs and fries. Work begins at 8am and extends into the early evening rain or shine. Canada Day BBQ The club's largest fund raiser is our BBQ at the St Thomas Canada Day celebration in Pinafore Park. All members pitch in to help and again the day starts early and extends into the midnight hours when the equipment has been cleaned and packed away until next weekend. Nostalgia Nights Car Show Our club helps the St Thomas Downtown Development Boards largest car show on the first Saturday of July. Our members bring out the food trailer again, help parking and organizing cars and run the very popular 50-50 draw. Optimist Baseball Our club is the proud sponsor of many sports activities to help introduce youth to the joys of participating in organized sports. For information on St Thomas Optimist Baseball, click here. |
