The Rock Falls Optimist Club was chartered with Optimist International in 1947 as an area service club which is dedicated to be friend of youth and has been in continued existence ever since.
The Rock Falls Optimist Club was chartered with Optimist International in 1947 as an area service club which is dedicated to be friend of youth and has been in continued existence ever since.
At the present time there are 49 members most of whom are active to some degree and not only enjoy the fellowship but also the work involved in the many activities in which we participate.
Over the past 65 years their activities have been many and varied and include most all youth activities and civic projects. While being youth orientated we also support many civic projects, as if they are good for the community they are good for youth!
It would be impossible to list all of these various programs and the dollars and manpower involved in making them successful but here are some highlights!
Scholarships have been provided to Rock Falls High School and Newman High School students over the past 19 years and this amount’s to help for 356 grads in the amount of $218,200 dollars over this time. We now have an endowment fund established which will insure this program for the future.
The Annual Rock Falls “Pride” Calendar sales has been a nice project for our community. It has generated well over $20,000 over the past 6 years. Old photos are sought out from our community and 1,000 calendars are printed for sale at $5.00 each.
Sponsors are also secured for each month making this a good project that always generates monies to help the youth of our town. We receive so many compliments from people of many ages within Rock Falls and many look forward to purchasing one every year.
The Park at 14th Avenue and Prophetstown Road is named Optimist Park and was established through the work of our membership and we have provided equipment and helped maintain it. Our Club recently assisted with a $20,000 renovation to have some new playground equipment installed.
We have also participated in projects at several of the other parks.
We were also a major contributor to the new Rock Falls Library and two of our members headed up this funding project and seen it to a successful conclusion.
Every year we sponsor participants to the Boys State and Girls State programs.
We are a major contribution to the Back to School Supplies program and some of our members help to oversee this program, which provides school supplies to some 2,700 students in the area.
The club works with IDOT on the Highway Cleanup Program doing our dedicated section of East Route 30 four times a year.
We have been sponsors of the Fishing Derby. Many prizes and a lunch were provided to all youth participants.
We have various fundraisers throughout the year.
We have a "Santa Program" where we visit and provide gifts for patients at CGH Medical Center each year at Christmas time.
We host a "Football Mania" raffle fundraiser.
Our club meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. We now meet at The Candlelight Inn in Rock Falls. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and as a rule last two hours or less. During the summer months we adjourn to on the local parks for cookouts and generally one meeting per month is a family picnic setting either at one of the members homes or at a park. These are very enjoyable.
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