Sutej honored as Optimist of Year; club planning for new year

Lincoln resident Chad Sutej was recognized as the Blackfoot Valley Optimist Club’s Optimist of the Year for 2019-2020.

“There was really no question in my mind as to who should have received this award. Chad is always willing to help out,” Optimist President Shayne Lindsey said. “He goes above and beyond, and has been involved and instrumental in everything we do from the very beginning. He embodies everything that the Optimist Club stands for and has helped raise a lot of money to give back to the youth in our local communities.”

Sutej, who has been part of the club since its inception in March of 2019, said he just thought the club represented things he wanted to do for the youth in the community.

The club itself has been working for the good of the community. In November, they raffled off four Thanksgiving Dinners, which were won by Tracey Daniel, Ray Grogan, Randy Morris and Ellie Schouten. Additionally, they gave a Thanksgiving Dinner to the Senior Center.

While COVID affected some of the fundraising and project efforts by the club, such as a Spaghetti Dinner at the school and the much-anticipated Memorial Day ATV Scavenger Hunt, the club has found other ways to raise money to support the youth in Lincoln and the surrounding Blackfoot Valley region.

They currently have two raffles going. The first is for a King-size quilt made by Jan Lindsey, on display at Citizens Alliance Bank. The second is their second annual Christmas Giveaway Raffle with several items donated by area businesses and individuals. The cost of the raffle tickets for both drawings is $5 each, or five tickets for $20. The winners are slated to be drawn at the bank Dec. 19 at 2 p.m., pending COVID restrictions. If the winners can’t be drawn at the bank, they will move the drawing down to the Power House Gym on the same day and time. Tickets can be purchased at Citizens Alliance Bank, Lambkins, Montana Heritage House, On the Rocks Liquor Store, The Wilderness or from an Optimist club board member.

The Optimist Club dues to join are $100, which goes to Optimist International, the parent organization for the group. Optimist International membership covers the local chapter’s insurance under the larger umbrella policy. This means all the additional funds they raise through their raffles or other events can be used, at their discretion, towards giving back to the youth in Lincoln and the surrounding Blackfoot Valley. This includes their $500 scholarship, support to events such as Santa’s Workshop, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library efforts to get books to children in the community from birth to age five, as well as other youth-related activities and causes.

For those who would like to support the organization, but don’t necessarily want to attend meetings or be heavily involved, there is also the option to join as a “Friend of the Optimist Club” which helps the club with their financial efforts to give back to the community.

They have plans for 2021, including the postponed Memorial Day ATV Scavenger Hunt, their annual raffles, and their Christmas giveaways. If anyone is interested in being a sponsor for the Scavenger Hunt, or donating items for their raffles, please contact Chad at 406-461-2747 (no texts please). In 2021, Lindsey would also like to see more people asking for funds to benefit youth and encourages people to present their cause at a meeting. “We have money to do things for the kids, we just need to know where the money is needed.”

If you would like to learn more about the Optimist Club, Linsdey invites interested people and businesses to attend their meeting the last Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the back room at Lambkins Restaurant. “If anyone has any curiosity at all, please come to a meeting and see what we’re all about. We’re a pretty diverse group and we’re always open to new ideas and new members.”

You can also contact Shayne at Citizens Bank 362-4248 or Chad 406-461-2747 (phone does NOT receive text messages) with any questions, or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/180195953221917.