By Nita Miller
JC Breakfast Optimist Club President
Optimist International is an international service club organization with almost 3,000 clubs and over 80,000 members in more than 20 countries dedicated to “Bringing Out The Best In Kids.” February 6, 2025, has been designated by Optimist International as “Optimist Day.”
The JC Breakfast Optimist Club has quarterly fundraisers at JC’s BBQ & Grill and receives donations from individuals, businesses and contributions made through Match Day in collaboration with the Greater Geary Community Foundation. The money raised by the local club goes directly to 16 different Geary County youth organizations. Three scholarships are also annually made available to graduating seniors to help them reach their academic or career goals. The local Optimists also have chartered two Junior Optimist International (JOI) Clubs with one each at Junction City High School and St. Xavier’s Catholic Schools. These two junior clubs are the only two actively involved JOI Clubs in Kansas.
All clubs in the international organization base their work on “The Optimist Creed” with 10 promises made in the creed. These statements help guide each member to improve themselves, their community and their club.
In these challenging times, it is important to not only be alert to what is going on in our communities, state, nation and world, but to also be willing to have a positive impact on one individual at a time. This can be done by simple acts of kindness, a smile, an encouraging word and or a donation of time, skill or money to help others in need.
Being an optimist every day and not just on February 6 makes a better world. The JC Breakfast Optimist Club meets every Wednesday at Jim Clark’s Chevrolet beginning at 6:30 AM. Anyone who shares the focus of the club is invited to attend and become an active member.