The Monroe Morning Optimist Club celebrated its 50th anniversary last Thursday with a party at its annual meeting, which was held at Turner Hall.
There are two Optimist Clubs in Monroe. The morning club was started by the Beloit Optimist Club on June 12, 1969. The other Optimist Club is the Monroe Noon Optimist Club and both clubs are part of Optimist Clubs International.
Dr. David Wake, charter club president, attended last week’s anniversary event along with area Optimist club dignitaries and other people important to the history of the club. The club has one local member, Don Martin, who was a charter member and remains in the club.
The Monroe Morning Optimists had an auspicious start as the speaker at the organization’s first officer installation was well known former Milwaukee Braves third baseman Eddie Matthews.
The Optimists are true to their name and positivity is a huge part of club activities and the creed each member recites. The Monroe Morning Optimists haven’t just been a positive force in the community through the spin they put out in fellowship, but they’ve devised a delicious philanthropic fundraising engine – a fried cheese curd stand that operates with the precision of a Swiss watch.
Since 1972, the Monroe Morning Optimists have raised $2.16 million in donations through cheese curd sales. This has led to donations of approximately $40,000 annually to organizations such as the Green County YMCA, Monroe Parks and Recreation, School District of Monroe, the Monroe Arts Center, the Monroe Women’s Club Christmas Stocking Program, Jacob’s Swag Foundation and countless other local organizations.
The Optimists, over the years, have also held numerous service projects for youth including roller skating parties, fishing clinics, bike safety rodeos and basketball events.
The cheese curd operation is considered — “Green County Gold.” The cheese curds are sold at local events such as the Green County Fair and Cheese Days. The cheese for the curds is a special blend that comes from Maple Leaf Cheese Factory in Monroe.
The first year the Monroe Morning Optimists sold cheese curds at the fair, they earned $760. Sales were slow at the first cheese curd stand until the Optimists put out some free samples in the beer tent. Once people tried them, sales picked up nicely. To date, the club has served 78,636 pounds of golden brown, deep fried cheese curds.
Much of the assistance the Monroe Morning Optimists provide in the community is for youth with one of the Optimists mottos being: “Optimists — Bringing out the best in kids, 100 percent and then some …”
At the 50th anniversary party last week, club president Lisa Hendrickson talked in depth about how so many individual club members have stepped up and worked together over the years to make the Monroe Morning Optimists successful.
As would be expected, the mood at the 50th anniversary event was incredibly upbeat. Among the Optimist dignitaries who attended the event were SWIS District Governor Designate Christine Dieckhoff, SWIS District and former President of Optimist International Jim Kondrasuk and SWIS District Zone 6 Lieutenant Governor Lori VanNatta. The club was presented a Wisconsin Legislative Citation signed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, State Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and State Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville).
The Monroe Morning Optimist Club and the Monroe Noon Optimist Club are part of Optimist International.
The Monroe Morning Optimist Club meets Thursday mornings at the Swiss Alps Restaurant with social time 6:30 to 7 a.m. and speakers from 7 to 7:30 a.m. The public is welcome at the meetings. For information, to join the club, or to request a donation, go online to: monroeoptimistclubs.com.
— Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
