The Optimist Club of Pine Bluff will hold its end-of-year meeting, induction ceremony and Christmas celebration 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Southeast Arkansas College in the Welcome Center. Physical distancing will be in force. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available, according to a news release.
Newly-elected president James Smith will preside. The keynote speaker will be Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., an Optimist Club member.
Invited guests include Peggy Ingle, Optimist International Governor of TennArk, and Lt. Gov. David Morgan, a member of the Pine Bluff club.
The following will be presented for active membership in the Optimist Club of Pine Bluff: Michael Henderson, John Jones, Teamika Long, Keith Thompson and Bettye J. Williams. Each inductee will receive an Optimist folder, pin and a special gift.
The local Optimist Club recently elected officers for 2020-21. They are President James Smith; first Vice President Patricia Berry; second Vice President Artis Fletcher; Secretary/Treasurer Mary Liddell; and Parliamentarian Sharon Fletcher.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Board members are Ellis Berry, Barbara Boyce, Valerie Kirklin, Linda Morgan and LaSonja Smith. Other club members include Nyeshia Aldridge, Oscar Bullard Jr., Crystal Burns, Pamela Chesson, Gregory Cooley (Denver, Co.), Leroy Edwards Jr., Efrem Elliott, LaTherese Ellis, Karen Enright, Therese Free, Dominque Graydon, Marcus Graydon, Cortez Henderson, Krandon Henry, Keith Horton, Stephanie Horton, Efrem Neely, Christopher Ogburn, Tina Owens, Sederick Rice, Chris Warrior, Shirley Warrior, Mae Washington and Tony Washington.
With the covid-19 pandemic, the club wasn’t able to carry out all of the 2020 programs, but it did give out scholarships to four local students: Sha’kyia Winston, Isabella Tomboli, Joydyne Carmickle and Ladajah Green.
In addition, the club read to students at Broadmoor Elementary School and donated toys. Members also donated toys to 34th Elementary School; purchased gifts for four Angel Tree students at the Salvation Army as well as filled four stockings; helped citizens complete the census; gave out food boxes at the food giveaways in November at New Life Church on four occasions; did Salvation Army bell ringing; and volunteered to collect donations at the Enchanted Land of Lights.
The Optimist Club donated candy canes and volunteered at the First Ward/Living Grace Food Pantry at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff recently. They donated more than 80 toys for the pantry and toy giveaway.
The club also made a monetary donation to the following: Kevin Collins Memorial Scholarship Fund, Cosmopolitan Choir of Pine Bluff Inc. David Hodge Scholarship to a Vesper Choir student at UAPB and contributed to the NAACP Arkansas State Convention.