Ogallala Optimist Club

Well, Meta AI didn’t approve of our last fireworks video and kept us from advertising here through 4th of July 😕 but this community did not let us down! Your support made for another successful fundraiser, the funds from which will be used, as always, to support the youth of our community. We are so grateful for all of you! Stay tuned for ongoing projects the Optimist Club will be doing in the upcoming year 😃

Today’s the day, we are now open!! So many fireworks they won’t all fit in a photo, but here’s a sample of what we have available! Come see Ogallala Optimists at 201 East 1st Street (the old Trails End Gifts building)

Congratulations to Emmett Cottrill, local Stock Champion at Wild West Soap Box Derby!! Emmett will be traveling to Akron Ohio to compete at the All-American Soap Box Derby in July with the Ogallala Optimist sponsored car. Best of luck to you Emmett!!

Ogallala Optimist Club has the great honor to help sponsor Michael Tophoj with a travel scholarship to attend the Genius Bowl International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in New York. That’s a mouthful, but wait, there’s more:
Michael will be leaving for New York the day after returning from competing in the ISEF in Los Angeles! Too many incredible achievements to put in a Facebook post but watch for the Optimist District Newletter, which I’ll link to here, for a list of his related accomplishments to date!

Ogallala Optimists had the honor of inducting two new members into our club today! Pictured l-r are new members Tina Easter and Brandon Jelinek, along with Optimist President Al Sipley. We are excited to welcome both into the Optimists!

A child’s coat was left at Spruce Street Station after this weekend’s Polar Express 😢 If your young one is missing a coat, please message Ogallala Optimist Club to describe it in order to claim. 🥶Thank you!!

Send a message to learn more

Hey, community of Ogallala - our Optimist Club is asking for your help. We saw some amazing Christmas light displays around town last night, and we would love to see more. Polar Express is sold out tonight and tomorrow night - If you have Christmas decorations out and you’re able to, please help Light Up Ogallala by turning your lights on! Our rides will begin at 5:15 and run through 7:30. Thank you! 🎄🚌🎄🚌🎄

The Ogallala Optimist Club got some Christmas spirit from the Ogallala High School art class with some cool art work for the Polar Express bus - check this out!! Thank you so much to everyone who was involved in decorating, it really adds to the festive experience of Polar Express!!!

If you weren’t able to make it to purchase tickets on Saturday for Polar Express Bus Tours, we do still have some available. Please message Ogallala Optimist Club and let me know how many you need 😊

WARNING!!! Scammers are trying to sell fake Polar Express tickets on the Ogallala Optimist page. I can’t be sure all of them are scammers but at least a couple claimed they had the tickets before our club sold any. I deleted those comments, there may be more out there. If anybody is still looking to purchase a ticket for the Polar Express Bus Tour on December 14th, 15th or 16th, please message our Ogallala Optimist Club directly as we still have some available. If you legitimately have a change of plans and can’t use the tickets you purchased today, please list them on your personal page. Thank you!

We still have some tickets available for the Polar Express Bus Tours being held on December 14th, 15th and 16th. Optimists will be at Spruce Street Station until 3:00 pm today 😊

Polar Express Golden Tickets will be available for purchase this Saturday at Spruce Street Station (220 N Spruce Street) from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. $5/ticket - limit 10/purchaser.

The Polar Express bus tours will be held Dec 14th, 15th and 16th at 5:15 pm, 6:00 pm and 6:45 pm each night with hot cocoa and visits with Santa following each ride!

Please share with your friends/family so everyone has the opportunity to participate 😊

POLAR EXPRESS 2023 UPDATE!!!
Ogallala Optimist Club will sponsor the Polar Express Bus Tour on December 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2023.
GOLDEN TICKET SALES: December 9th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm (note the later time!!) at the Spruce Street Station. $5.00 per seat - limit 10 tickets per purchaser.
RIDE TIMES: 5:15 pm, 6:00 pm, and 6:45 pm each night
Rides will include a tour of Christmas lights around town, reading of the Polar Express Story and singing carols! Hot cocoa and Santa visits following each ride!🎄🎅🎄

The Polar Express bus tours will be returning to Ogallala this December 14th, 15th and 16th! Tickets will be available for purchase on December 9th. Mark your calendars, and like and follow Ogallala Optimist Club for more updates coming soon!

If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by Humphrey Pond to check out the updates done this summer by our club. Many thanks to everyone who donated through Keith County Big Give and 100+ Women Who Care - Keith County for making it possible to do this work. Special thanks to the Humphrey Pond Committee and Ogallala Optimist members Doug Davis and Al Sipley who put in the hard work! This is Phase 1 of a long term improvement plan… more exciting updates to come!

We have 22 different types of artillery shells! Including this massive Neon Nishiki with 24 different displays!! Check out this and hundreds more at Optimists Fireworks Stand at Spruce Street Station!

NEON NISHIKI 5" CANISTER SHELL RELOADABLE SHELL; FIREWORKS; 60 GRAM CANISTER; CONSUMER FIREWORKS

We have fireworks!!! Come check out the fireworks sales at Spruce Street Station! All proceeds will be used by Ogallala Optimist Club to support the youth of our community!

The pads for canopy and memorial benches are going in!! Consider donating to Ogallala Optimist through Keith County Big Give to help continue making improvements to this great fishing pond 😊. www.KeithCountyBigGive.org

Changes are coming to Humphrey Pond this summer to complete Phase 1 of our long term improvement plan! We have ordered and will install a new shaded shelter, pouring concrete pads for up to 5 memorial benches, expanding the parking area and installing new durable split rail fencing! We still have a lot of lofty goals in our long term plan including handicap/senior accessibility, a fishing dock, bridge, erosion control, walking path, geocache site, and more! We hope you may support us during the Keith County Big Give beginning June 1. Donations can be made at www.keithcountybiggive.org for the next 2 weeks! As always, we appreciate the support of our community 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Diaper Need Impact On U.S. Families*
🧷48% borrow money from family/friends.
🧷40% keep their child diaperless.
🧷39% stretch diaper use by keeping a child in a diaper longer.
🧷30% get diapers from a diaper bank or charity.

A big THANK YOU to the Optimist Club and U-Save Pharmacy for the generous donation to the diaper drive👏.

Happy International Optimist Day - a day to celebrate our club’s efforts in bringing out the best in youth, our communities and ourselves!