Due to COVID-19, our annual bike rodeo was cancelled for 2020. However, in the interest of bike safety for youngsters (as well as having a little fun), the Optimist Club of Waterloo North has decided to share the set up instruction we use when hosting our Bike Rodeo in the parking lot at Christ Lutheran Church in Waterloo.
Participants of our past rodeos know that before you begin, you need a helmet (which fits properly) and your bike needs to be in good running condition. So before you begin, please check out the Young Cyclist’s Guide from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). The guide has information on bicycle equipment, riding tips and the rules of the road to keep you safe.
Are you ready? Is your helmet fitting properly? Have you ABC Quick Check’d your bike? (If you don’t know what this means, see section 3. before you go: check your bike in the Young Cyclist’s Guide.)
Download the instructions we use for the activities at our Bike Rodeo. Adapt each of the activities to use the space and materials you have available to you. Remember to stay safe with whatever you decide to do.
We are pleased that McPhail’s Cycle & Sport in Waterloo has been an ongoing partner in our Bike Rodeo and has checked and tuned many of our young participants bikes over the years. As an essential business they have been busy keeping cyclists going. We are happy to share the checklist they use when getting bikes ready for their customers. You may find this useful if you want to do a more complete tuning of your bike.
Since 1957, Optimist Clubs have recognized youth for their talents in the arts, athletics, academics, and for contributions to community. These individuals demonstrate qualities such as exceptional leadership, selflessness, courage and sincere devotion to the welfare of others.
The Optimist Club of Waterloo North has had the pleasure of hosting Youth Appreciation events for over 25 years. Well over 250 youth have received recognition from our club for the personal and/or community achievements. Typically, family and friends are invited to participate in the celebration; however, this year due to the need to socially distance, Certificates of Acknowledgement along with gift cards were personally delivered to our deserving young leaders.
We congratulate the recipients of their 2020 Youth Appreciation Awards. We also thank our sponsors for their nominations. Allow us now to introduce you to these 10 outstanding youth!
Abby B. is a grade eleven student attending Resurrection Catholic Secondary School. She is passionate about volunteerism, advocacy work and helping others. At school she is involved in various clubs including: DECA, student council and the grade 9 transition program. In her free time, she enjoys teaching dance to children, and baking. Abby is hoping to become a teacher in the future to further pursue her love for education. – Abby was sponsored by Jennifer Fletcher (Send’em Off Smiling)
Manaisha R. is in Grade 6 at Sandowne Public School and is a kind-hearted, sensitive student who goes out of her way to quietly help others. Manaisha works hard in all subjects and is a role model in the classroom, and the school community as a whole, putting forth her best effort on a daily basis. Manaisha’s positive energy is infectious and she takes pride in all her responsibilities; staying organized with her schoolwork and excelling in her extra-curriculars, which include soccer, track, sprinting and piano. Manaisha also advocates for others in the classroom, sharing her kindness and good-will on a consistent basis with all peers and adults she works with. – Manaisha was sponsored by Danielle Holden (Principal – Sandowne Public School)
Logan G. is a highly dedicated grade 12 student at Grand River Collegiate in Kitchener. Logan has been involved in the Kindred Credit Union’s Peace Innovators Scholarship and Mentoring program, wherein she designed and launched a project that addresses awareness of physical disabilities in Waterloo Region. In addition to the Peace Innovators program, Logan is co-leader of GRCI’s Debate Club, French club and Blue Crew and is a participant in St. Paul’s GreenHouse Youth Innovation program. She plays sledge hockey for the Woolwich Thrashers, is assistant coach to the Waterloo Women’s Field Hockey team and is also attending TORCH (The Operation Challenge in Waterloo). Next year, Logan plans to attend the University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy University to study VABE (Visual Arts and the Built Environment) and hopes to open her own architecture firm with a focus on accessible design. – Logan was sponsored by Katie Gingerich (TREE-The Ripple Effect Education)
Sam G demonstrated his devotion to the welfare of others when last year, as part of a school assignment, he was inspired to make a presentation to City Council to ensure pedestrian safety in his community. He urged Council to consider a pedestrian safety solution that had been used in Nova Scotia, where coloured flags are provided at the intersection for pedestrians to use when crossing. It was a low-cost option that improved traffic yielding by up to 8% and had a mostly positive reaction from the community. He advocated for this same traffic calming measure to be used at the Lincoln/Mayfield intersection in Waterloo. As a direct result of his thoughtful presentation, staff were directed to explore the opportunity of using pedestrian crossing flags at selected locations within the City of Waterloo. It is a clear display of his outstanding leadership qualities that Sam was able to maintain his good grades at school while dedicating time towards improving his community. – Sam was sponsored by Jen Vasic (Councilor – City of Waterloo)
Matthew K. is being recognized for his courage in the face of adversity. In 2017 he was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout the long hospital stays in London, never-ending tests and grueling treatments to battle the cancer, Matthew fought hard and demonstrated significant courage. In September of 2019, he graciously shared his inspiring story with our Club. As soon as he was able, he was back to playing hockey and getting involved in extracurricular activities at school. He has not allowed the disease to be what defines him and continues to be a positive role model for those around him. – Matthew was sponsored by Ross Robertson (President – Optimist Club of Waterloo North)
Caroline S. is a grade eleven student attending Resurrection Catholic Secondary School. She is passionate in areas of business, English, and wellness and participates in many school activities in these fields. Outside of school, Caroline enjoys skiing and riding horses. She hopes to continue her hobbies and studies throughout university on her path to study law. – Caroline was sponsored by Jennifer Fletcher (Send’em Off Smiling)
James R. is a grade 10 student at Bluevale Collegiate and has maintained an excellent academic standing while playing on his high school basketball team. He also volunteers his time giving back to Wildhawk Basketball where he helps with their skills camps and is a House League head coach in their Atom Boys Division. His help is not only greatly appreciated by the Wildhawk organization, but also by all the boys that he has impacted as a positive role model. – James was sponsored by Dave MacNeil (Wildhawk Basketball)
Nicole A., a grade 10 student at Bluevale Collegiate is a vital member of the African Caribbean and Black identifying student group, rallying other students and encouraging them to participate. She recently helped to organize the Black History Month Assemblies and volunteered to be one of the MCs for the event. Nicole is also a part of the Equity Team at Bluevale offering insight and concerns regarding equity issues and solutions to both peers and staff. She has been involved in activities through Bluevale’s Choose to Lead Program (C2L) which is focused on the development and enhancement of leadership skills throughout high school. Nicole is also involved in her church and other youth groups where she serves in different leadership roles and works with youth. She has already completed her 40 volunteer hours required for graduation. – Nicole was sponsored by Christine (Madame) Harnack (Teacher – Bluevale Collegiate).
Kate B. is a grade eleven student at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School. She participates in lots of extracurriculars that cater to her passions of sports, wellness, and helping others. At home, Kate can be found playing with her “puggle” (pug/beagle), Rosey, and hanging out with her sister, mom, and dad. She hopes to continue her educational career by applying to university in the fall, as a student who values learning and isn’t afraid of a challenge. – Kate was sponsored by Jennifer Fletcher (Send’em Off Smiling)
Samantha “Sa5m” L. is an 11-year-old grade 6 student from Waterloo. The determination, devotion and dedication toward reaching her goal of excelling at the drums, while her family deals with an emotional ordeal, is an admirable display of courage in the face of adversity. Sa5m wanted to learn to play the drums for her sister Abigayle, who has Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Drumming has allowed her to bring joy to her sister and up-lift those around her as well. Twice, Sa5m has competed and placed well in the international “Hit Like a Girl” contest and she continues to practice hard to improve her skills. This year she will dedicate her song choice, performance and entry to Abigayle. Sa5m’s intention to bring happiness and positivity to those around her and her dedication to her sister, represent a generous, unselfish character that deserves recognition. – Sa5m was sponsored by Jen Vasic (Councilor – City of Waterloo)
Congratulations again to these deserving young leaders!
At our February club meeting this week, we wrapped up our 2019-2020 Essay and Oratorical contests. Essay contestants wrote on the topic “Is Optimism the Key to Achieving the Dreams you iMagine?” while the Oratorical contestants spoke for five minutes on the topic “Just iMagine a World without Boundaries.”
We applaud all competing students for their creativity and hard work. The winning Essay moves on to compete at the Midwestern Ontario District. The first and second place finishers in the Oratorical Contest participate in the Zone 7 (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge) contest where two speakers will be chosen to compete at the District contest in May. (Scholarships are awarded at the District level and Oratorical Contest winners can move on to compete for additional scholarships regionally and internationally.)
Thank you to the principals, teachers, judges and parents for supporting these talented youth.
Our Optimist club is happy to be partnering with the Salvation Army to once again staff a toy collection site at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo.
The teenager quietly dropping some loose change in the kettle. New parents starting an annual tradition with their newborn. Families sharing what they have. Individuals continuing a decades long practice. And representatives of teams and office groups who have organized their own collections. It warms our hearts to witness the generosity of our community.
Club members are accepting new, unwrapped gifts from noon to 6 pm on Saturdays up to Dec 21. Other local Optimist and Kin clubs will be there on Sundays (noon to 6 pm) and weeknights (5 to 9 pm).
The drop-off site in the mall is located outside Lindt Chocolates (near American Eagle and Indigo). Look for the big drop box decorated in red and green to look like a present.
Need gift ideas? Consider different age groups (infants, older children, pre-teens and teens). Perhaps Play-Doh, Games, Puzzles, Crafts, Lego, gift cards, bath bombs. Or stop by the drop-off site while it’s staffed and ask if there is a particular age group in need.
Need assistance? Waterloo Region residents needing Christmas Assistance can get more information from The Christmas Bureau by visiting www.christmashampers.ca or by calling 519-742-5860.
September can set the tone for the entire school year, often including new clothes, new backpacks and new school supplies. Unfortunately, not every family is so fortunate as to be able to provide these for their children.
Twenty-five years ago, a small group of women decided to make a difference. They provided a backpack filled with new clothes and school supplies to 27 students at one school. Send ‘em Off Smiling (100% volunteer run) has since grown to helping 1,000 kids per year at schools throughout Waterloo Region.
During the year, volunteers shop the sales to assemble a warehouse of clothes, backpacks and school supplies. In the spring, teachers identify students who may benefit from receiving a filled backpack, and with the parent’s approval and input (such as sizes and colour preferences) volunteers prepare a personalized backpack. Other volunteers deliver the backpacks in late August. And the receiving students and their families — their smile says it all!
As a testament to the impact of this program, Send’em Off Smiling tells of former backpack recipients giving volunteer time and financial support to pay it forward to the next generations. What a great community we live in!
How you can help
If you would like to help Send’em Off Smiling, you can volunteer your time, donate money, or participate in their “Shop and Drop” program. Check out their website for more details.
Optimist Club of Waterloo North 