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National Capital Optimist Club

Programs to Benefit Youth

The National Capital Area Optimist Club held their annual awards luncheon this past weekend, and provided much-appreciated funds for the Chess Center to continue its efforts to provide free and low-cost activities for local young people. The club’s mission is to improve the community by supporting youth-based organizations.

 

The Center was one of many local organizations to receive Optimist support for their programs. The groups that teach kids to play golf, wrestle, and play other games spoke about using their activities as a tool to teach students responsibility, resilience, and respect for themselves and others.

The Center agrees with them, and notes that in addition to the attributes other groups describe, chess helps young people plan ahead, focus, and solve problems. Other activities do that, too, but chess is accessible to everyone, costs less than nearly any of the other activities mentioned, and results in many fewer physical injuries. We are pleased to have been recognized by the Optimists for the past 23 years.

National Capital Optimist Club supports the U.S. Chess Center

The National Capital Optimist Club, a volunteer service organization devoted to enhancing the well-being of young people, has been a generous supporter of the U.S. Chess Center for 25 consecutive years. We are once again grateful for this year’s donation, which was given at a recent event.

The Optimists are an international organization engaged with young people in a variety of ways. Their scholarship contests invite students to submit essays, they provide volunteer opportunities for teenagers, and they have an international golf tournament for young people.

Each Optimists Club raises funds and selects service initiatives independently. The U.S. Chess Center is one of more than a dozen local organizations receiving financial support from the National Capital Optimists’ annual Christmas tree sale in Kensington. The Chess Center encourages locals who buy Christmas trees to support the Optimists’ tree sales. We will post information about their location closer to the holiday.

Support Local Youth – Shop for a Christmas Tree With National Capital Optimist Club

For nearly a century, National Capital Optimist Club has been a positive presence for youth throughout the greater D.C. area.  NCOC has enlisted financial support for countless children’s charitable initiatives, including, for the past 20 years, the U.S. Chess Center.

National Capital Optimist Club’s annual Christmas tree sale is now in progress at Kensington Baptist Church.  Each tree sold helps provide funds for local youth enrichment initiatives.  If you are shopping for a tree for the festive season, we strongly urge you to consider coming to Kensington to support NCOC and the work they do.