With young medical doctor Romario Simpson at its helm, the Optimist Club of Manor Park is ending its current year as a Distinguished Club within the international Optimist movement, a recognition that, despite the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020-21, it has excelled.

“It took grit and determination, but the Optimist Club of Manor Park remained steadfast in its commitment to serve and executed over 30 projects this year in a creative and innovative way to positively impact our nation’s children, the indigent, the health-care sector, and the environment,” said Dr Simpson.

In keeping with the achievements of the club, Simpson, a former Governor General Youth Awardee, will be titled a distinguished president of optimist in a year when his club is celebrating 22 years of continuous and dedicated service to the community it serves, particularly the youth of Jamaica, utilising the tenets of the Optimist creed.

“We have had our fair share of problems due to the global economic recession and the ongoing pandemic, which has caused much turmoil and loss of lives and livelihood. As a club, this pandemic affected our way of life in terms of how we usually socialise and engage with our constituents.

But we remained undaunted and we persevered,” Dr Simpson said.

Among its achievements, the club donated cash valuing over $250,000 to various organisations, such as the Jamaica Aids Support for Life (JASL); the Combined Disabilities Association (CDA); the Sickle Cell Support Foundation of Jamaica; and the McCam Child Development and Resource Centre, which works with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The club continues to assist families with children who are diagnosed and undergoing treatment for childhood cancer, HIV/AIDS, and autism.

The club assisted needy students through its electronic tablet drive and distributed over 200 back-to-school packages to the New Providence Primary School, Cockburn Gardens, and the Seaview Early Childhood Development Centre. The packages consisted of composition notebooks, travel-size hand sanitisers and other necessities, such as customised face masks and customised bookmarkers depicting the COVID-19 safety precautions.

In keeping with the Government of Jamaica’s National Tree Planting Initiative, the Optimist Club of Manor Park partnered with the Forestry Department to conduct several tree-planting events of mainly fruit trees, such as soursop, ottaheite apples, naseberry, ackee, star fruit, and pomegranate.

It also partnered with the Mona Baptist Church to provide a warm meal, clothing material, and other necessities to approximately 60 people, usually on the second Tuesday of each month. This initiative was spearheaded by the club’s Vice-President Monica Robinson.

On Thursday, September 15, 2022 the smiles on the faces of members told the story as the club hosted its inaugural President’s Appreciation Award and Induction Ceremony, providing President Simpson an opportunity to express his gratitude and appreciation to all club members who contributed both monetarily and with their time “to make this past club year the most successful, which ultimately resulted in the club earning the coveted distinguished status”.

Board members were specially recognised with customised plaques, and the well-attended appreciation ceremony also served as an opportunity to induct new members into the Optimist movement. Among the attendees were current Governor for the Caribbean District Al Johnson; International Vice-President Elect Dave Wilson, and other past governors. The keynote address was delivered by Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment Brown, who was full of praise for the work done by the Optimist Club of Manor Park to positively impact the Jamaican youth, especially those who are vulnerable and disenfranchised.

She stressed the importance of civic education and respect for democracy and institutions within the Jamaican society, using the occasion to briefly highlight the new civic handbook entitled Jamaica Strong and Free, which was recently launched by her office for the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence.

The 2020-21 board of directors also comprised Vice-President Marcia Forrester; Diana Morrison, secretary-treasurer; and directors Pat McLean, Carolle Hainsley, Reginald Hewitt, Shakira Johnson, Slyviana Johnson, and Humphrey Boreland.