Optimist Tree Sale Funds Local Service Projects
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
One of the creeds of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club is to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person that members meet.
During the holiday season, those three points are even more important for people.
One way the club promotes health, happiness and prosperity is through the annual Christmas tree sale. Proceeds of the sale go to youth service activities.
"To fund all of our projects, we do the Christmas tree sale," Dan Woods, co-chairman of the Christmas tree committee, said Thursday.
Optimists donate approximately $250 to $500 to each of the youth service activities they support, Woods said.
"We work real hard at not just supporting the athletic side (of the community)," Woods said.
Some of the youth service activities the club supports through the Christmas tree sales include Art in the Park, the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America and the Beaman Home.
The Optimists also help these activities and others by members donating their time and energy to volunteer with the organizations or programs. Woods said the club gives away approximately $15,000 to $20,000 a year.
The trees are unloaded Thanksgiving morning at 7 a.m., Woods said. This year they unloaded 700 trees in 25 minutes. He said the club times the unloading of trees and tries to beat their time every year.
"A lot of the guys bring their children with them," Woods said. "They enjoy it."
The Optimist Club is faced with competition, though, and that has hurt sales and the money that they receive to give back to the community.
"Everybody now has artificial Christmas trees," Woods said.
In 1986, the club ordered 1,700 trees. Twelve years later, they are down 1,000, Woods said.
But that hasn't discouraged the optimistic group. The Christmas tree sale has been going on for about 36 years, Woods said. Each one of the 140-member club donates at least four hours to keep the tree sale going.
"They work no matter what the weather is like," Woods said.
The tree sale is located between the new Owens and the former Sav-A-Lot building. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. except on Sunday, when hours are 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The sale will last until Dec. 19.
"We all have a good time. If they're not busy, members sit and talk to each other. It's a way for them to get to know each other," Woods said.
Trees range in price from $20 to $25. They are 5- to 8-feet tall. Woods said sales now are moving right along.
"A few snowflakes would make people get in the mood real quick," Woods said.
This weekend is the Optimist Club's big sale weekend, Woods said.
Adults interested in joining the Optimist Club can show up any Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. at the meeting at the fairgrounds and pick up an application. The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club is part of an international organization.
"Everything we do is to raise money so we can spend money on youth or provide man hours. We just don't throw money at them," Woods said. [[In-content Ad]]
One of the creeds of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club is to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person that members meet.
During the holiday season, those three points are even more important for people.
One way the club promotes health, happiness and prosperity is through the annual Christmas tree sale. Proceeds of the sale go to youth service activities.
"To fund all of our projects, we do the Christmas tree sale," Dan Woods, co-chairman of the Christmas tree committee, said Thursday.
Optimists donate approximately $250 to $500 to each of the youth service activities they support, Woods said.
"We work real hard at not just supporting the athletic side (of the community)," Woods said.
Some of the youth service activities the club supports through the Christmas tree sales include Art in the Park, the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America and the Beaman Home.
The Optimists also help these activities and others by members donating their time and energy to volunteer with the organizations or programs. Woods said the club gives away approximately $15,000 to $20,000 a year.
The trees are unloaded Thanksgiving morning at 7 a.m., Woods said. This year they unloaded 700 trees in 25 minutes. He said the club times the unloading of trees and tries to beat their time every year.
"A lot of the guys bring their children with them," Woods said. "They enjoy it."
The Optimist Club is faced with competition, though, and that has hurt sales and the money that they receive to give back to the community.
"Everybody now has artificial Christmas trees," Woods said.
In 1986, the club ordered 1,700 trees. Twelve years later, they are down 1,000, Woods said.
But that hasn't discouraged the optimistic group. The Christmas tree sale has been going on for about 36 years, Woods said. Each one of the 140-member club donates at least four hours to keep the tree sale going.
"They work no matter what the weather is like," Woods said.
The tree sale is located between the new Owens and the former Sav-A-Lot building. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. except on Sunday, when hours are 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The sale will last until Dec. 19.
"We all have a good time. If they're not busy, members sit and talk to each other. It's a way for them to get to know each other," Woods said.
Trees range in price from $20 to $25. They are 5- to 8-feet tall. Woods said sales now are moving right along.
"A few snowflakes would make people get in the mood real quick," Woods said.
This weekend is the Optimist Club's big sale weekend, Woods said.
Adults interested in joining the Optimist Club can show up any Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. at the meeting at the fairgrounds and pick up an application. The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club is part of an international organization.
"Everything we do is to raise money so we can spend money on youth or provide man hours. We just don't throw money at them," Woods said. [[In-content Ad]]