Members of the New Iberia Optimist Club braved the rainy weather Sunday to put on a shrimp boil near First United Methodist Church Sunday morning.
The club, which boasts 73 members, is primarily organized to answer the needs of local youth by organizing meaningful service projects.
President of the club Marty LeJeune, who’s been a member of the club for 31 years, said Sunday that about 1,000 local residents had purchased a ticket for the shrimp boil, with the proceeds going to fund the many projects that the club puts on throughout the year.
“These are the most adults we’ve had in many years,” LeJeune said. “Usually the Louisiana Kids come, but so many of them come they take over the table.”
Some of the services the club provides includes helping with the Boys and Girls Club, the Bayou Berry Bowl, essay contests, library workshops (particularly a fishing workshop), girls scouts, participating in the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff, Iberia Parish Library summer programs, the Respect for Law program, Octagon clubs, oratorical contests, outstanding graduates awards and weekly lunch meetings with guest speakers.
Some of the stated goals for the Optimist Club include promoting an interest in civic affairs, a respect for the law, patriotism, friendship to all people and encouraging the development of youth.
Despite brief spurts of rainy weather, members worked to boil and distribute shrimp to local residents who drove through the tent area of the Optimist Club Sunday. Club members were situated across the street of the United Methodist Church near the office of Alfred Ackal.
Like the Kiwanis Club pancake supper, the shrimp boil is a critical club for the New Iberia Optimist Club and relies on the funds received to put on many of the programs that are put on by the club throughout the year.
Many of the members find the work the club does personally rewarding, like the oldest member Ray Escuriex. Escuriex said he was a 62 year old member of the New Iberia Optimist Club and loves helping with the programs it produces throughout the year.
“It’s great for the children and it does a lot of good for the community,” the former Daily Iberian Citizen of the Year said.
Escuriex added that he hoped more people in New Iberia would get involved in community organizations like the Optimist Club so that the good services provided would continue.
“I just love what I do,” he said. “I’m out here expending youth and I have nine kids. More people need to get involved so we can have more volunteers.”
November 09, 2020 at 03:47AM
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Optimist Club raises funds with shrimp boil - The Daily Iberian
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