HAMPER/TOY UPDATE.

December 20th is “D” day for the 26th annual Chrstmas Food Hamper and Toy deliveries for needy Oshawa families as selected and screened by the Salvation Army. The “Armys” staff head have supplied us with the official list of families who be receiving the Hampers/Toys.  Sales where conducted at Sobey’s Food (Wilson & Taunton Rd) on Dec. 5 & 6th. A profit of $1,042.00 was banked. Optimist volunteers included Eric Goodwin, Brian Tremblay, Marg Ross, Neil Metcalf, Elizabeth and Sandy Crosbie, Cybil Dewhurst, Brian Tremblay and raffle coordinator Jim Shaw..

MONDAY NITE OPTIMIST EUCHRE

Peter Pniuskas captured week 12 recording the most points accumulated with 83. He just returned from a well deserved two week golfing vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Newcomer Andrew Wood placed second with 80 points. Jimmy Duval was third – 78 points. He and his lovely wife Sandi will be enjoying a spiral ham for the top prize reward. Gloria Logan won the official coin flip for the most lone hands for the evening outdwelling Optiist Jim Shaw. Logan took home the bottle of Opti-Napa Valley wine.

Bob ‘Dirt’ Burtinsky continues to dominate all percentage players with a nifty 70:18% mark. He’s immedately folowed by James Brooks at 69:80

DURHAM COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP BURSARY

A huge crowd attended the 9th annual Optimist/Durham College atheltic scholarships buseries in memory of deceased Thomas A. Scero and Sydney H. Breland . Students receiving this presitigious  honour was Courtney Small )Varsity Basetball) and Courtney Small (Varsity Soccer). Both the players, their families and close friends where in attendance.  Soccer coaching legend at the college Stan Bombino received a special award for his longivity and dedication to the sport of soccer.

INDUCTIONS CERMONIES

Former Cenon Zone 8 Lt. Governor James ‘Jimmy D’ Dimitroff sworm in the 2010 Oshawa executive. Stephen Hambley will be our new president, president elect is Cybil Dewhurst. Treasurer will be Marjorie Ogden and veteran Jim Shaw takes over as secretary and special events. Ken “Story’ Ferrill did a superb job as MC.

OPTIMIST BREAKFAST WITH SANTA.

A last minute decison to the host a Optimist Breakfast with Santa Claus for 108 youths was a tremendous success. Working with Brenda Danson – pancakes, juice boxes, fruit, was served and enjoyed by the hungry kids from the North Oshawa area. It was a a special days for the youngsters. Jim Shaw was the liassion official for this event.

OPTIMIST WADO KAI KARATE TOURNAMENT

The largest attended crowd in the 19 year history of the Optimist Club of Oshawa-wado Kai Karate attended at the Y.W.C.A. Auditorum Dec. 5. Sixty four indiviudal trophies where donated by the Optimist Club plus bargian value Opti- hot-dogs and soda.

Special acknowledgement were presented by the Optiimist to Theresa Virgin, susan Kucakowaki, Kim Ellias and John ‘Janusz’ Galant for their longivity and loyal service to the Wado Kai Club.

Ronald ‘Batman’ Hele, Lori Hambley, Peter Pniauska, and Jim Shaw represented the Optimist club.

OSHAWA, Dec 6th:

The Oshawa nearly folded this past spring due to lack of funds to operate. Their main fund raiser weekly Bingo’s ceased on January 31st in Whitby when the business went into receivership. The Oshawa club was the mainstay for Zone 8 (Durham Region) with clubs operating in Ajax, Brooklin, Uxbridge and Whitby. When the local ecomony suffering a severe downfall from the closures of the GM giant auto plant closures, layoffs and forced retirements the future was bleak at best for a Optimist recovery.

Starting with a lowly bank balance of $2.86 and a commented budgeted items the membership decided to roll the dice for a comeback. Using the recycled fund raiser the group decided to raffle off a 2009 General Motors produced Pontiac Vibe commencing sales last spring in mid-May during Victoria Day weekend as first prize. Wal*Mart SuperCentre added to the first price take donating $1,500.00 in groceries to the winning ticket holder. Despite unwanted problems and growing pains this project has seen a new attitude develop, has incourage new members in supporting the Optimist mandate of being a “Friend Of Youth and our Community”

Devoted volunteers and members have logged over 9,000 hours in making this turn-a-about possible. Certainly a Cinderella Story” with a anticipated happy ending. Newly elected Optimist president Stephen Hambley said “our volunteers have been remarkable, when we originally printed 10,000 tickets it seemed receiving that figure was only a dream”. Local citizens have responded to the marketing strategy making believers  in purchasing of tickets at $5.00 each or the bargin basement price of 5 tickets for $20.00. Many business firms and fellow Ontario Optimist Club purchased $100.00 packages in boosting  ticket sold to  12,000.With two weeks remaining to the December 20th draw date 15,000 tickets seemed to be a reachable amount. This weekend our raffle gang are selling tickets in Bowmanville at the Metro Food Store on Dec 11,12,13 from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm The final sales weekend will be held at the Wal*Mart SuperCentre on Dec 17,18,19 from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm.

Optimist ticket sellers have been pro-active with in high traffic chain stores plus the Oshawa Centre, Auto Fest, Downtown Oshawa Sidewalk sale and the Five Points Mall.  The bulk of sales conducted every weekend for the past 31 weeks. The largest ever one day sale was conducted in Cobourg during the summer securing $1,700.00 in sales.

On Dec. 20th after the hampers/toys have been delivered a special cermony will be conducted within the R.S.McLaughlin Oshawa Armouries located at 53 Simcoe St. N. To-date over 9,000 volunteer hours have been accumulated by the Optimist and volunteers.  The volunteers are deeply committed. On numerous occassions tickets have been sold at three different locations on the same day. No one is paid for their efforts with all profits going to help the needy families and other Oshawa Optimist Youth events during the calendar year.

GENERALS SHUTOUT THE OPTIMIST

Originally it was felt – the announcement of winning ticket holder would be conducted at the multi-million GM Centre build by citizen of Oshawa. The Optimist where in contract with OHL club in early June and their management seemed very interesting in out suggestion in our face to face meeting. After 18 telephone calls/emails with no reply’s afterwards the anticipated love affair never happened. The “GO turn into a NO GO” for this no-brainer community project. The OHL Generals rent the GM Centre from the City of Oshawa. High profile individuals including elected City of Oshawa elected officials, Chambers and Commerce, GM Centre management and even super fan himself Terry Kelly a mainstay in the errection of the Civic Auditorium couldn’t convince the Generals Management team permitting the announcment. Plans called for a local soldier who served in Afghanistan to draw the winning ticket. The Optimist club wanted to saluate our armforces serving to protect our freedom for Canada. The Optimist membership offered to fill the unsold GM Centre  tickets and donating them to Oshawa’s youth for the Owen Sound vs Oshawa Generals game on Dec. 20th. Again the Generals never responded.

Jim Shaw – Car Raffle coordinator is disappointed with Oshawa Generals. A noted sports broadcaster, reporter he has aided the Generals for over 40 years however with new management they seemed non-interested in local community efforts.

As it now stands, the Optimist will employ the R.S.McLaughlin Armouries located at 53 Simcoe St. North for their Dec. 20th showcase.

Upwards to 150 volunteers will meet within the north parking lot north of armouries (off Richmond St) at 12 noon for  deliver for the 26th consecutive year of Food Hampers/Toys. Each vehicle are requested to deliver to two families each.

Each family will be supplied for two weeks (14 days) of groceries containing two boxes of staple food, one box of meats including a 15 pound average festive turkey with the fourth box jammed full or produce products Family members will be allotted three new toys each for children ages 14 and under. Toys are supplied by the Martin Chiropractic Clinic (19th year) and the Nursing Staff located on the 4th main floor at Lakeridge Health at OGH. The toys are sorted by gender and age for Optimist delivery. Last year the outlets collected 1,208 toys including 108 build a bears.

Kasey McBride 19 a Oshawa Cadet graduate will make the draw. He joined the arm forces this past spring . Prior he trained under deceased Jerry Kehoe whose wife is a super active volunteer with the Optimist Club. He be escorted by the Oshawa 1933 Cadet Band to make the official announcement.

The winning ticket holder name will be published in the local media, advise via telephone or email and his/her name will be published on the Optimist web site www.oshawaoptimist.ca

Anyone wishing to help delivery can contact Optimist event coordinator Jim Shaw at 905-576-6919 or via email at jimshaw15@rogers.com

Joining the “Hambley Team” will be president elect Sybil Dewhurst,new treasurer Marjorie Ogden and secretary Jim Shaw.

In asccepting another engagement as president he stated ‘Our club was on the verge of  folding as  the lack of funds was drying up to  support our community and youth projects. The Oshawa’s club  main fundraiser since they where  founded on July 22nd, 1982  was Bingo . The Whitby based bingo hall closed it’s doors on January 31st,2009 going into receivership.  Hambley continued to say, with no revenue in-coming in  and with prior committment expenses directed towards  to our youth and  community plus a reduced membership to  seven the outlook forcast looked glime at best.

Our city suffering from finanical woes due to General Motors and their feeder plants occuring heavy layof eliminations of jobs, early retirements The outlook seemed impossible to repair.

Employing an  Optimistic outlook,  Hambley using strong support from our Monday Nite euchre volunteer support group started with  $2.86 in their bank account. It  now appears the Hambley group are on thr rack track to recovery. His new 2010 executive members will include president elect Sybil Dewhurst a Optimist veteran who has joined the Oshawa organization serving for years in the Caribean, treasurer Marjorie Ogden and secretary Jim Shaw.

James Dimitroff a former Cenon Lt. Governor will officially welcome the new exeuctive on board.

Both student/platers will be officially honoured on Wednesday, Decemeber 02th at Optimist headquarters – Johnny’s Original Eatery located within the King/Thornton Plazz 850 King St. W in Oshawa 905-579-7748 commencing at 6:30 pm sharp. A special meet and greet has been established for 6:15 pm

The Optimist will be presenting each athletic/student with a $500.00  cheque each. Both must maintain a high standard in both education and athletics. The revenue is divided into two equal payments with the initial payment on December 02nd followed by the balance happenig on May lst 2010.

Award winners’ are selected, screened and chosen by a special established committee by OUiT/Durham College athletic director Ken Babcock and his knowledgeable committee.

The Breland/Scero awarded was established by Jackie and Marcel Boullon both former club president’s. The recommonded the Optimist club make this award annual in memory of their long time friends and fellow Optimist who years in promoting the motto “Friend Of Youth”

Athletic officier Karen Richards is organization the Durham College representives for this event. Included are the immedate family members of the  Small and Sutherland families. The head coaches and guest Stan Bambino, Desmond Rawley,athletic director Ken Babcock and Richards.The local print/electonic media have been dispatched invitation to attend.

Durham College are celebrating their 40th year of operation.

Held at the picturisque Trillium Trails Conference and Banquet Centre in rural north Oshawa (Raglan) this bavarian  atmosphere surrounded in a senerey of peacefull setting created a final chapter for many D.C, students who will graduate next month. The showcase dinner featured “Farm Style” delivery  of a cheese and vegetable tray, spring mixed salad and rolls, Roast Beef/Roast Chicken, roasted potato, mixed veggies finished off with a desert to die for  – Tuxedo Truffle Mousse Cake.

The Oshawa Optimist Club a long time partner with the Durham College Athletic program presented the final cheque for the ‘08-’09 Male and Female winners  in memory of deceased Optimist members Thomas A. Scero and Sydney H. Breland.

This year’s winner chosen by a selection committee headed by athetic director Ken Babcock were Katie Watts (Ladies  Varsity Soccer) and Derek Kyle (Mens Varsity Soccer). This annual event was the orginal brain storm of former Oshawa club president Jackie Bouillon a Optimist Life time member and close friend and associate of Breland and Scero.

Since 2003, two varsity sports students (One of each gender) have been awarded Optimist Athletic scholarships. The awards is based on the students who must  maintain the high level standard in both education and athletics during the entire school year.

Kyle a former  R.S. McLaughlin graduate is enrolled in the Police Foundation. His team missed the O.C.A.A. playoffs to arch rivals Seneca despite the fact they claimed tworegular season wins prior to be eliminated. Meanwhile Watts is enrolled in the ECE program. She’s  another Oshawa resident having attended Eastdale Collegiate. As a rookie she had a awesome campaign scoring an amazing 20 goals.

Both students received $500.00 each with the final half payment issued at the banquet. First payment occured on November 19th, 2008 at the regular Optimist Club Monthy meeting. Their parents, close friends and  coaching staff where in attendance.

Cash awards totalling of $10,000.00 has been donated to this worthy program since 2003.  Previous winners where David Clancy/Jackie Birthwhistle 2003, Christina Foreman/Chris Walker 2004, Lyndsey McPhillips/Matt Markovic, 2005, Sammatha McConnell/Joe Cyros 2006. Danielle Smith/David Arsemault 2007 and Katie Watts/Derek Kyle in 2008.

Optimist Jim Shaw and from our Youth group Optimist Curtis Rodgers presented the final awards.

Watts at 20 year old striker hit for 20 goals during her rookie OCAA campaign. The former Eastdale Collegiate graduate is entered in the Early Childhood Education program (ECE) she excelles in other sports besides soccer including Ladies Ice Hockey. Kyle a former R.S McLaughlin Collegiate graudate is enrolled in the Police Foundations program. He had an outstanding season both offensely and defencely.

Both students will received $500.00 each in two  individual instalments, First  payment of $250.00 each is to-nite. The balance will happens in the spring of 2009 providing both maintain their current high standard in education and athletic prowless.This agreement has been the practise between the our Oshawa Membership and the Durham College Athletics selection committee.  Awards over $10,000.00 has been donated in memory of Optimist Breland-Scero since 2003.

Administrative Assistant Karen Richards was in awe when the Optimist Members saluted her long time service and dedication with a special presentation to “A SPECIAL LADY” plaque was awarded. Her daughter Torri was execited for her mothers achivement.

2003: David Clancy,  Jackie Birthwhistle
2004: Christina Foreman, Chris Walker
2005: Lyndsey McPhillips, Matt Markovic
2006: Sammatha McConnell,  Joe Cyros
2007: Danielle Smith, David Arsenault

2009 Durham College Scholarships

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2008 Durham College Scholarships

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2005 Durham College Scholarships

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2004 Durham College Scholarships

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2003 Durham College Scholarships

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Oshawa:

The scholarships total $1,000.00. This annual awarded is in memory of two deceased club members Thomas A. Scero and Sydney H. Breland. The 2008 winners where chosen by the Durham College Athletic executive board under the leadership delivered by athletic director Ken Babcock are – Katie Watts from Ladies Varsity Soccer and Derek Kyle representing Men’s Varsity Soccer.

She’s a freshmen and a graduate from Oshawa’s Eastdale Collegiate in Oshawa. Katie is enrolled in the Early Childhood Course (ECE) and plays as a striker. Watts scored 20 goals this year and lost in the championship game to the Humber College Hawks. Her team recorded only one defeat this campaign

Second year student 5′10″ Derek Kyle attended highschool at R.S.McLaughlin.He’s enrolled in the Police Foundation course. Kyle’s varsity team missed the playoffs losing out to the Seneca College Braves by one point. Prior they had beaten Braves twice.

Each will received $500.00 with individual instalment payments of $250.00 apiece on Nov19th. The remaining balance occurs in the spring of 2009 providing they maintain their high standard in school and athletic standards. This agreement has been a long standing between the Optimist Club of Oshawa Membership and the Durham College Athletic board.

Each year the college selects two winners one male and one female. Last year’s Optimist winners’ where Michael Arsenault from Men’s Baseball and Danielle Smith from Ladies Fastball.

Watts and Kyle and their respective families will be in attendane, along with Women’s Varsity head coach Vaso Vujanovic and Stan Bombino -the head coach of the  men’s varsity soccer programe. Athletic Director from Durham College and U.O.I.T. Ken Babcock and his capable admistrative assistant Ken Richards are also invitees for this gala annual affair.

As part of the Optimist ongoing community efforts this is a excellent program permitting the students to accomplish on job training under the supervision of a registered dental hygienist and a licensed dentist. It’s comparable to a private practice. Appointments last an estimated 2.5 hours.

The Optimist have committed to “foot the bill” to help these two students to complete their educational requirements.. Normal clinic fees are $25.00 per adult and $10.00 for children (ages 6 to 13) The clinic is open from Monday to Friday during day time hours with Tuesday and Thursday evenings available.

Good oral hygiene is very important, not only for the looks but for general health. Poor oral hygiene can lead to a variety of dental and medical problems ie-gum disease, bone loss, heart disease, strokes and more. Regular check ups and cleaning can prevent these problems plus good hygiene is provide.

This would be a superb Xmas family present allowing you and your love one a lifetime of perfect health.

Further information is available by contacting the school at 905-721-3074, or via email shannon.patterson@mycampus.durhamcollege.ca or katelynlee@mycampus.durhamcollege.ca or the Optimist Club of Oshawa at 905-576-6919 or email: mail@oshawaoptimist.ca