Shelby Optimist Club members take a pledge to support youth activities and organizations throughout Oceana County. The Sportsman’s Banquet, the club’s major fundraiser held on Jan. 21, not only helped to fulfill that pledge, but also showed the community’s eagerness to support the club’s worthy cause.
While many club members donated much time and effort in making this year’s banquet a success, the Oceana County community — individuals as well as businesses — were the ones who truly made the event a success. They generously donated thousands of dollars worth of raffle and game prizes geared toward outdoor sports enthusiasts and purchased tickets to the sold-out event.
This year, the club was honored to welcome to this long-time annual event officers from the Michigan District of Optimist International. They presented members Tom Fox and Dale Burmeister with certificates for serving in the Shelby Optimist Club for 50 years. (Please see the above photo. Burmeister’s grandsons accepted his certificate for him, since he was in Florida during the event).
While at the event, the district officers remarked on the status of Shelby Optimist Club, commenting on its growth in the past several years — which they advised exceeded that of other clubs in the state. It was a pleasant surprise to hear that Shelby Optimist Club is regarded as one of the largest and most progressive clubs in Michigan. That is due to the club’s number of members as well as its successful fundraising efforts and the amount of contributions provided to youth organizations and causes in the county.
Shelby Optimist Club’s 2026 President Deana Fox stated “Our club has existed for over 75 years and is one of the oldest clubs in Michigan. While the club began as a Shelby entity, our members are pleased and honored to have expanded our reach to serve the youth in all areas of Oceana County.”
If anyone would like to become a member of an organization that strives to make a real difference in the lives of young people in Oceana County, the Shelby Optimist Club welcomes new members. Talk to a club member or attend a meeting for more information. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. at the Stony Lake Inn on alternating Wednesday evenings.
Follow Shelby Optimist Club on Facebook or get membership information by visiting the website: www.shelbyoptimist.com/join/.
