Despite school bus cancellations and extreme weather conditions that prevented many children from attending school this week, that did not stop the Friendly City Optimists of Moose Jaw from giving back to students.
The group visited Empire Community School on Thursday to provide a healthy pancake breakfast for students, staff and even parents who were able to make it to school that day.
The students were able to enjoy their meals for which they thanked the Optimists for providing. Because many children did not get a chance to attend, parents were also invited to stay and have breakfast with those who were able to brave the extreme cold conditions.
Kelly Logan, principal at Empire Community School, thanked the Optimists, saying they continue to show the school their full support by partnering on many projects.
“I just want to say thanks to the Optimists for their continued support over the years. This is just one of the many things that they do for our school. It’s been really great to build those community partnerships with the Optimists.”
She continued, “we love to have them come in and share an event with the kids because they do so much for our school. For instance, we have a playground fundraiser for the last couple of years and the Optimists were a big help in raising funds for our playground and they’re also going to help us install it this spring. We’re just very grateful to them and all that they do for the school.”
Since 2017, the Optimist Club has been hosting pancake breakfasts for select schools across the city. Since they started, approximately six schools have benefited.
Optimist member Ellen Sjoberg, who chairs the committee that puts together the pancake breakfast, said it is a satisfying experience to be able to give back to the community.
“We just really enjoy giving back and it’s always fun to be here with the students,” Sjoberg said.
The Friendly City Optimists Club is active all year long and is always looking for new members who have a passion for service and youth. They are dedicated to “Bringing Out the Best in Kids” through building friendships and teamwork through community service projects.
