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The Fayette County Record
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Published 3 years ago
Last updated 3 years ago
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LG Optimist Club to Celebrate 42+ Years of Service With Open House at New Location

By Zoe Hill

A Legacy of Service

  • Optimist Cub board members posed for this photo at a recent meeting at their new headquarters at the Old AMEN food pantry building at 805 Mode Lane in La Grange. Left to right, Joshua Steele, Ryan Steele, Christie Steele, Misty Touchet, Quincy Hutchinson and Jeff Kelly. Photo by Jeff Wick
    Optimist Cub board members posed for this photo at a recent meeting at their new headquarters at the Old AMEN food pantry building at 805 Mode Lane in La Grange. Left to right, Joshua Steele, Ryan Steele, Christie Steele, Misty Touchet, Quincy Hutchinson and Jeff Kelly. Photo by Jeff Wick
  • A look at the outside of the new Optimist Club headquarters at 805 Mode Lane, a facility the AMEN food pantry outgrew several years ago. There’s now an expansive deck and inside meeting space.
    A look at the outside of the new Optimist Club headquarters at 805 Mode Lane, a facility the AMEN food pantry outgrew several years ago. There’s now an expansive deck and inside meeting space.
  • LG Optimist Club to Celebrate 42+ Years of Service With Open House at New Location
    LG Optimist Club to Celebrate 42+ Years of Service With Open House at New Location
  • The Club sponsors a basketball Gatherings in the early days. league in the fall/winter.
    The Club sponsors a basketball Gatherings in the early days. league in the fall/winter.
  • The club used to sell Christmas trees as a fundraiser.
    The club used to sell Christmas trees as a fundraiser.
  • An Optimist Club dunking booth at the old Square Fair in La Grange.
    An Optimist Club dunking booth at the old Square Fair in La Grange.
  • The Optimist Club sponsors fall and spring soccer leagues.
    The Optimist Club sponsors fall and spring soccer leagues.
  • NFL great Johnnie Johnson, center, during a club program in the 1980s.
    NFL great Johnnie Johnson, center, during a club program in the 1980s.
  • Past regional and state awards won by the La Grange chapter.
    Past regional and state awards won by the La Grange chapter.
  • Optimist members helping at a Thanksgiving day free meal in La Grange last year.
    Optimist members helping at a Thanksgiving day free meal in La Grange last year.

The La Grange Optimist Club has served the youth of La Grange through scholarships and sports for the past 42 years. It began on July 9, 1980, as a sports club offering only soccer. Now, they offer various sports programs for students from preschool age to middle school in addition to a few scholarship opportunities for high school students. Over the years, the club has become an integral part of the community.

The Optimist Club headquarters recently moved from the fairgrounds ballpark to the old AMEN building on Mode Lane in La Grange.

The building has been renovated and turned into a useful space for the Optimist Club. After adding some final touches, it will be ready to show, and the club will hold their open house on Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 11 a.m.—2 p.m. Hot dogs and other snacks will provided. Members will give tours of the newly renovated facility while explaining to people the purpose of the club.

The Optimist Club has done so much for the community already, and their hope is for continued growth. They are excited to show people the work that they have done on their new building, so everyone is invited to attend and support the La Grange Optimist Club.

The Optimist Club has a variety of options for students to choose from. They run six sports seasons throughout the school year. From August until October, the Little Kickers (soccer) and the Little Hitters (volleyball) can participate in practices and games. The Little Kickers are youth from PreK-4 through the 8th grade, and volleyball is for 3rd through 6th grade girls. In November and December, the Little Dribblers (3rd through 6th grade boys and girls) can take part in the basketball program. Then, from March until May, flag football is available for 1st through 6th grade children. Clearly, the Optimist Club has a lot to offer for the youth of La Grange.

Sports

Although the sports programs provided by the Optimist Club are generally for elementary and middle, they encourage former participants and older youth to become coaches and refs once they are in high school. During the 2021-2022 school year, 30 high school students coached and refed for various sports programs offered by the Optimist Club. Longtime member Misty Touchet speaks on behalf of the club when she states that “this helps teach them leadership skills along with time management and communication skills.”

Scholarships

As far as scholarship opportunities go, the Optimist Club is currently offering a few different scholarships, one of them being an essay contest open to any student in Fayette County. Senior scholarships are also available to all Fayette County schools. The student who is selected to be Male Athlete of the Year will also receive a scholarship in addition to having their name added to a plaque.

Another way that the club supports students is by sponsoring a fair queen contestant each year. The fair queen contest is an annual event that takes place at the Fayette County Fair, and the contestant who sells the most tickets wins the title of fair queen and earns a scholarship. But the contest is not the only way that the Optimist Club is involved in the Fayette County Fair; their main annual fundraiser is the Fayette County Fair Beer Booth. Misty Touchet explains that “We work very hard for four days and we raise enough money to help support our club, programs, and scholarships.” It is generally a very successful fundraiser that is essential to the everything that the club does for the community.

The Optimist Club has been very active in the community for years, especially during children’s events. Trick-or-treating on the square for Halloween, summer movie nights, and Schmeckenfest are a few Main Street or city-provided events that they have been a part of. The club has also helped with the Community Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the First United Methodist Church. They have given away money and time to assist the church in feeding about 500 people. Another way that they are involved in the community is through working with LGISD to sponsor a family for Christmas. This venture began last year. The participation of the Optimist Club in community events and projects has been extremely helpful and impactful for many La Grange citizens.

Giving Back

As previously mentioned, Misty Touchet has been involved with Optimist Club for a long time—as of October of this year, she has been a member for 18 years. She started out by helping out with cub scouts and the soccer program, but former president Jeff Kelly asked her to join the club officially. She then continued to help with the soccer program and cub scouts as a member of the club. When asked her reasons for being an Optimist member, she responds with her love for children and for the La Grange: “I grew up here, went to school here, raised my kids here, and have met so many wonderful people whom I now consider family. I want to help make strong programs for the children and youth in our community.” The goal of the club, she says, is for kids to become interested in sports at a young age so they will continue playing in middle school and high school.

The La Grange Optimist Club is currently looking to grow to continue developing their programs. Specifically, they are looking for members who can help with sports programs, advertising, grant writing, social media, and community involvement. The membership fee is $60 per year. The club meets twice a month—the first and second Wednesday night of each month. The first meeting of the month is Steak Night, a social meeting when club members can talk about events coming up and things going on in the different programs. Everyone brings their choice of meat which is grilled in the building. Desserts, sides, and drinks are provided by the club. Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday night of the month, and board members discuss items that need to be voted on and financials. Members take turns each month providing a meal for this meeting.

The Optimist Club has done so much for the community already, and their hope is for continued growth.

They are excited to show people the work that they have done on their new building, so everyone is invited to attend Saturday’s event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and support the La Grange Optimist Club.

Pics of Optimist Club Events over the Past 42+ Years

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