The Des Plaines Optimist Club delivered an SUV-size load of brand new school supplies to Plainfield Elementary School on Monday, August 30, after their first ever school supply drive. The cases of school supplies: boxes of pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, rulers, scissors, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, assignment notebooks, three ring binders, pencil cases, and string back packs covered two tables in the multi-purpose room. The supplies will be distributed to children who were unable to afford all the items on their back to school lists. “Supply lists get longer every year, and families are asked to contribute more and more,” said Ruth Del Re, Board member for the Des Plaines Optimist Club. “In this economy, it is difficult for parents to afford new supplies for all their children. We thought everyone deserves to get off to the right start with the right supplies,” she said. “The Club put the word out to our members, families, and friends who all stepped up to meet our needs. We were also very fortunate that Runco Office Supply, a privately owned company in Elk Grove Village, donated generously to our drive,” Del Re said. The club also used a $100 Walmart gift card they had in their cache.

The Optimist Club chose Plainfield School because of their long standing relationship with Principal Rene Carranza and students from Plainfield who have participated in the annual Optimist International Oratorical Contest. “Principal Carranza is an amazingly motivated educator. He often gives up his Friday evenings to come and listen to the participants rehearse their speeches before the contest in March,” Del Re said. Optimist members meet with the students on Friday nights over a four month period to help them rehearse their four to five minute speech. “When some of the students start, they can barely look us in the eye. Then the weeks of practicing and memorizing start to pay off as the students become more assured and more confident,” Del Re said.

The contest, which began in 1928, gives children under the age of 19 a chance to speak to the world. Nearly 2,000 clubs participate annually. This year’s topic is "If I Were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I Would Address Would be ...” “We wanted to give back to Principal Carranza for all of his support, and make life a little easier for some of his students,” she continued.

Plainfield has had its share of Oratorical winners. In March of this year Paulina Gudel, a 5th grade student, won first place at the Club level. “We have also had a regional champion, Yohann Lobo, in 2010 and Althena Saldana has been the 2009 state champion of the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the 2008 regional champion, and the 2007 District Champion,” Del Re said.

The Des Plaines Optimist Club sponsored free Friday Night Movies in the Park this past summer, as well as a kite fly, a fishing derby, and their annual youth golf outing. They will also be a sponsor at this year’s Fall Fest, a three day family friendly festival and marketplace at Lake Park, September 17-19. Optimist Clubs worldwide see a need in their community and react to it. The Optimists conduct 65,000 community service projects each year, spending $78 million in their communities. Six million kids are positively affected by Optimist programs, and the students at Plainfield School can again count themselves among them.