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I - lb. Canadien Champion, Tuesday, December 12,2000 878-2881 con Milton Optimist Club By IRENE GENTLE Tise Champion T heir sprawling home may be for sale, but the Milton Optimist Club has plans to be around for a long time yet. The local group waa founded in 1967 with a mandate to help local youth. And it waa with the aim of functioning an a youth centre that the Commercial Street Optimist Centre waa buîlt in 1976. But the building proved ton big for the club's purposes, and space waa eventually leased out commercially. A 1,700-square-foot area downstaira han been retained for the 68-member club, which wilI pack their baga and move elsewhere once the building finda a buyer. Ail profits from the sale will bu funneled back into the community, helping everything from youth spolia teams to achools and churches, aald Optimiat Club Preaident Dave Robbins. "Our mandate is youth in the community," bu aald. "Our mono is friend of youth." Founded in the 1920s, there are now 187,000 Optimiat Clubs members in North America, încluding 87 clubs in southem Ontario alone, smd Mr. Robbins. Locally, the club helped build the Milton Leisure Centre by donating $100,000 a year for three years. "I think we were the biggest, non-commercial donor," swd Mr. Robbins. Club funda are raised through a Sunday evening bingo at Bingo Country, as well as a Tuesday evening live television bingo with Georgetown through COGECO 14. Fireworks sold for the May 25 and July 1 hou- daya also bringa cash into club coffers. And in Febmary, Uic club will hoat a murder mystery theatre fundraiser, with proceeda going toward Big Sisters of Nords Halton. It will take place February 10, has a St. Valentine's Day theme, and is performed by a professional acting group out of Hamilton. Tickets cost $35 each and will be sold at the M&M Meat Shops in Milton, or through Big Sisters. te the past, the Optimiat Club contributed to the X-Cspe Youth Dmp-m Centre on MilI Street and todsy helpa send s teen frors each Milton high achool off on a weekend leadership confer- ence at Humbur College each yesr. 'They have different seminars with leaders of sndustry snd education," sald Mr. Robbins. "It's a great program." TIse club also helpa rend underprivileged kids off on a one-day journey 10 Florida's u - a friend of youth Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Mîlton OpîlmisI Club membere like (from lotI la rlght) Mike Rioker, Harald Steeley, Andy Shornagel, Terry Morgan, Bruce Nicholson and Len Ayres dont just walt untîl Chrlstmas ta give ta the communlty. Disneyworld an part of tIse Air Canada Dream Takes Flight program. In Uiat, up to 10 local kida join about 200 oUi- crs from acrosa the province for a one-in-a-life- time tnp to tIse magical world of Walt Disney. And handicapped children from acrosa the region flock to Csmpbullville for the Optimiat Club's annual fishing derby. In that, the physically-challenged kids are let loose at a stocked pond, with Optimiat volun- teers on hand to help them with things such an balting their hook. That event is co-sponsored by the Four Sessons Anglers asd Hunters. Investing in youth delivers an automatic psy- back, sasd Mr. Robbins. "It keeps them off the street, for sure," he said. "It keepa them involved." In the past, the club has tried to organize youths into a self-mn group dedicated to volun- teering in the community and raising funds for local organizations. It flopped once, but with volunteerïng now a masdated part of the school cumculum, the time may bu right, said Mr. Robbins. Ordinsrily, the Optimiat Club deals with youth organizations rather Uian youth itacîf. But individuals become Uic focus in the case of kida who cant afford to play hockey, or any other sport of their choice. "We'll help them out," sasd Mr. Robbins. Today, the Optimiat Club meets weekly, and han bi-monthly board meetings. During those, the 13-member board sifts through requesta to find the right projecta to fund. "If iî's within our abilities, we'll do it," said Mr. Robbins. But like any community group, the Optimist Club struggles with two scarce commodities - cash and people. Fundraisers help take care of the former. But volunteers are always needed. 'People think they're too busy to volunteer, but anything would help," he sasd. "They could come out juat one day s year and that wouid bu great." I-1~P rogramming c e u e - December l2th, 2000 - December l8th, 2000 lji iii 44~~.4*./ I a km. Eau s~,e~iaop ~~dhI U.khk*u ig~~UI~ O~1~llaUNu ~ ~ ~ l.,1~flu~u. M~dhI1us. ~ R~dhI- h~U~U~ I~ih1km Sgm,,I,&73p. P~dhI ~ k~Si. ~km1hU.~ k3O~ Ih~d ~ ansi. s~m _ 5au ~ êJOp kmes figÉi~ucu Suakis km OpI~i1V dhhls liN;. Msq~é 651 kumn5mcau www.cogeco.ca ~ I~lm~. frJS. Simili ~ ks~tié NORTII HALTON STUDIO oo~. Ad..Sela f.tud.bl1S 21 Main Street North, ~ksPuak tih.15 Actes, ON Lu 1V9 (519) 853-4700 Feature this week: Local Santa Claus Parades - Tues, Wed, Thurs & Sun. 8pm.