The Prior Lake High School Junior Optimists wrapped up a successful year of community service at the Horse and Hunt Club on May 22.
Optimists enjoyed dinner, awards, speeches and the swearing in of its new board of directors for the coming year. They include:
- President, Rachel Thibault
- Vice President, Logyn Bottemiller
- Secretary, Lauren Wiese
- Treasurer, Aubrey Thoms
- PR/Communications, Olivia Lesch
The club was started by Amy Raetz in 2007, who gathered her daughter and friends for the inaugural group. It has since grown to 273 active members, making it the largest student organization in the high school and the largest Junior Optimist Club in the world.
At the banquet the group celebrated a year which included completion of 120 community service projects, ranging from clothing drives to feeding the homeless to staffing carnival games at community events. While their year officially ends when the school year does, projects continue during the summer, making the club a year-round operation.
The club is sponsored by the adult Prior Lake-Savage Optimist Club and led by advisors Maria Belden and Dan Steger.
