From assembling autism rescue kits to providing 300 children with gifts during the holidays, the Wheat Ridge Optimist Club supports children and families throughout the community.
In 1956, Wheat Ridge High School alumnus and businessman Carl Cerveny started the city’s Optimist Club. He remained a member until his death at age 94.
Today, some members joined because their friends or neighbors inspired them. Some joined after retirement. Others joined after hearing The Optimist Creed, which includes promises like to “look at the sunny side of everything.” Some become involved for only a short time, while others have been part of the club for 40 years.
Members attend weekly meetings, which include breakfast, socializing, community philanthropy work and listening to local speakers. Speakers range from the city mayor and fire department members to former service members, police officers, teachers and hearing aid specialists.
“It’s nice because you get a well-rounded feeling of the city,” said club member and former president Mike Cunningham.
Jack Chism and George Wheeler are co-presidents and are starting their new roles for the year this month.
Unlike other service organizations, Optimist Clubs are locally focused and locally modeled. Programs are aimed at helping local children. The club sometimes works with local Rotary and Kiwanis service organizations on initiatives.
School outreach programs for local children include club members watching senior capstone projects, helping at the State Brain Bowl competition, promoting health and wellness for elementary school students at the Farmers 5000 race every year, and filling bags for Feed the Future that supply food for kids who may not get food during the weekends. The club gives away four $2,500 scholarships each year to local students. The club also supports Wheat Ridge High School’s STEM and music programs.
Wheat Ridge High School is also home to the Optimist Club’s annual community pancake supper. Since Cerveny began the tradition in 1957, the club has hosted the supper on a basketball game day for nearly 70 years, with a pause during the COVID pandemic. Pancakes, sausage and bacon are served to the community and, if the WRHS basketball teams get lucky, to their opponents.
One main program is autism rescue kits, which were started by member Bill Cassel five years ago. Members assemble kits that include items like a blanket, ear covers, fidget toys and tools to reduce stimuli for autistic kids when they’re in a crisis situation. Club members distribute the kits to emergency workers, who can offer them when interacting with children on the autism spectrum.
For their annual Christmas Community Outreach program, the club works alongside the Wheat Ridge Police Department. They receive names from Wheat Ridge schools of families in need of gifts during the holidays. Club members and a “Blue Santa” from the Wheat Ridge Police Department stand outside Walmart the Saturday after Thanksgiving, asking shoppers to pick up gifts for the children. They also collect clothing and gift cards.
Once they receive the gifts, club members spend an entire day wrapping them, sometimes working until 10 p.m. Once wrapped, WRPD delivers the gifts to as many as 300 children.
“Blue Santa is a huge community event when the police actually get a positive image,” Chism said.
The program not only aims to provide local children with gifts they may not otherwise receive, but also to help repair any negative associations the kids may have with police.
Although the organization primarily serves youth in the community, Chism and Wheeler, who are both retired, joke that service organizations are often referred to as gentlemen’s groups filled with older men. The club currently includes both younger members and women. The co-presidents hope to increase those numbers.
“We definitely want to build up our membership because we want the survival of the club because it’s so important,” Chism said. “Some of the things that we’re doing in the community, people don’t realize how much is done by service organizations. Those needs aren’t met by everything else.”
The club maintains a positive and inclusive culture, and the co-presidents acknowledge the importance of building up the younger generations.
“It’s always better to give than to receive,” Chism said. “When you do something positive for somebody else, that really makes you feel good. It’s not all about you. It’s how you can help others.”
The club meets every Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Wheat Ridge Rec Center. The Optimist Club will be wrapping gifts for children in need on December 11 at Applewood Baptist Church. Both are open to the public.
