Congratulations to Sydney Mafong of her Essay being selected as the CALSO Optimist District’s Essay Contest Winner and informed her that her submittal was forwarded to OI as the District’s entry into the International Essay Contest competition. She was delighted! I also invited her to read her Essay at the Quarterly District Meeting on May 1, 2021 probably sometime between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM, but that I had not seen the Agenda for that day so at present couldn’t narrow the time down further. Sydney is delighted to be able to read her winning Essay at the May 1st meeting.
According to Lynn Reiter-Woodhead, Past District Governor, “We have a winner for the CALSO District Essay Winner! It is Sydney Mafong, sponsored by the Del Mar/Solana Beach Optimist Club!”
Sydney Mafong is the Charter President of the Pacific Trails Middle School Junior Optimist International (JOI) Club which was Chartered on December 9, 2020, and is sponsored by the Del Mar – Solana Beach Optimist Club. Sydney was the prime mover in organizing and starting up the JOI Club. Even before the Club was officially chartered, Sydney organized and led outdoor community service projects including park trail cleanups and park grounds cleanups in the Elizabeth Rabbitt Neighborhood Park and the Del Mar Mesa Preserve Trail. The newly-organized and chartered Pacific Trails Middle School JOI Club has performed several additional projects after the first of the year including; making nutritious sack lunches for the homeless. Each of the 110 lunches included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, granola bar, fruit roll, mandarin orange, a bottle of water, and a handmade card with an inspirational message to provide cheer. The lunches were delivered to Father Joe’s Villages in downtown San Diego where they were distributed to people in need. Current projects in work include additional lunch making, neighborhood recycling of cans and bottles, and making toiletry/health kits with planned items including masks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand sanitizer, shampoo, and deodorant. The Pacific Trails Middle School JOI Club meets via ‘ZOOM’ on alternating Fridays and performs all Club projects in a safe, masked, and socially distanced manner under the supervision of their two JOI Club Advisors.
The current issue of “The Southernor” contains articles on some of the above projects.
Optimistically,
Jim Parrotte
Secretary, Del Mar – Solana Beach Optimist Club
—–Original Message—–
From: Lynn Reiter Woodhead <lwoodhead@cox.net>
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 6:47 PM
To: Rick Lakin <rilakin@gmail.com>; Bill Parry <sarahcheeselady@san.rr.com>; Agatha Graney <goodone17@hotmail.com>; MIKE Poirier <uwmike@att.net>; Jim Parrotte <JimParrotte@hotmail.com>; Dave Bean <dfbean@san.rr.com>; Bonnie Styles <bmstyles@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: CALSO District Essay Winner 2021
Hello All!
We have a winner for the CALSO District Essay Winner! It is Sydney Mafong, sponsored by the Del Mar/Solana Beach Optimist Club! Jim Parrotte can tell you more about her- I don’t want to steal his thunder!
I’m hoping she will be able to read her winning essay either at our 3rd Quarterly meeting or our District Convention in August. More to come.
Congratulations Sydney!
Lynn
