Platteville Optimist Club

Nathan Manwiller, Angie Wright, and President Terri Ellis After receiving our donation of $2,117, Angie Wright and Nathan Manwiller, of the aquatic center fundraising committee, provided additional details on the new center. Overall, construction has gone very well. The only snag, and the reason why the grand opening had to be delayed, is the continual delay in receiving some filters that were originally scheduled to arrive April 1. A positive to the delay, though, is th

President Terri Ellis presents a $2,117 donation for the Platteville Aquatic Center to Angie Wright and Nathan Manwiller Our Club was able to donate $2,117 to the new Platteville Aquatic Center after receiving a $1,000 Childhood Health and Wellness matching grant from Optimist International. A special thank you to Jerry Schewe, who applied for the grant on behalf of our club. The remaining $1,117 came from our generous club members whose mission is to impact the lives of yo

New members pictured are Karin Peacock, Werner DeBrondt, Linda Richardson, Noah Tashner, Dale Young, Doris Young, along with Optimist Club President Terri Ellis. The 2026 New Members Welcome (NOW) Event was held on Saturday, June 6th at First English Lutheran Church. Eight new members joined, six of whom were inducted by Optimist Club President Terri Ellis at our Friday morning meeting. Welcome Karin, Werner, Linda, Noah, Dale and Doris!

Nuzaira Rabbini along with her mother, Farzana Marni were guests at our Friday morning meeting on June 5th. Nuzaira, Platteville Optimist Club's 2026 Oratorical Contest Winner, gave her speech for club members to enjoy. Optimist Ken Kamps talked about the history of our involvement with the Oratorical Contest, which continues to draw amazing talent from Platteville and the surrounding communities.

Carley Borcherding arranged an Optimist Club field trip to Pioneer Farm to learn about their Lely A5 robotic milkers. We were greeted by Tera Montgomery, Full Professor of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences in the UW-Platteville School of Agriculture, Campus Liaison for the Dairy Innovation Hub and the Director of the School of Agriculture. Tera gave an update on the 430 acre farm which primarily a teaching, research and outreach facility. She talked about their preparat

Sporting his favorite t-shirt, fellow optimist member Bob Hundhausen brought a lot of humor and heart to our club meeting on May 22 as he spoke about the history of comics and his comic book collection. He began by saying his wife would say he has two PhD's, one in comic books and a second in Star Trek. His interest in comics began in 1974 when he was seven years old watching TV shows such as Superman, Aquaman Action Hour, and the 1960s Batman on a 13" black and white TV.

Sophie and her father Ryan Kammerud The SWIS District 3rd Quarter Conference for the 2025–2026 administrative year was held on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The event took place at the Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Northwest Conference Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conference included the SWIS District Oratorical Contest where Sophie Kammerud, daughter of Hailee and Ryan Kammerud of Darlington, was 2nd Place Winner. Sophie received an award for second place and a $1,500 scho

L-R: Hayley Hamilton, Asma Sahak, and Optimist Alaina Reeves Platteville High School's annual Scholarship Awards Night for the Class of 2026 took place on May 11, 2026, where the community gathered to celebrate seniors and award localized scholarships. Alaina Reeves presented the scholarships on behalf of the Platteville Optimist Club. Hayley Hamilton, who will attend Southwest Tech's medical assistant program, received a $1,000 scholarship. Asma Sahak, who will attend Edg

Wayne Wodarz President Terri Ellis, Wayne Wodarz, and Carley Borcherding Optimist Carley Borcherding invited fellow Optimist Wayne Wodarz, Executive Director of the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce to speak to our Club. Wayne highlighted three different areas of interest; 2025 State Tourism, Travel and Tourism Week, and Day Trips in our area. The latest tourism results showed that room tax revenue in Platteville hit a new record in 2025. It rose a whopping 17%,

Karin Peacock Wendy Johnson Kathy Kubitz L-R: President Terri Ellis and Master Gardeners Wendy Johnson, Kathy Kubitz, Karin Peacock, and Carley Borcherding Three Master Gardeners, Karin Peacock, Wendy Johnson, and Kathy Kubitz spoke to our Club on Friday, May 8, 2026. A Master Gardener is a volunteer who has become certified by the Master Gardener program. They explained that they may not have all the answers but they know where to look or who to ask. They present o

The district Tri-Star basketball competition was held on Saturday at Prairie View Elementary in Sun Prairie. Platteville was well-represented, especially with winners: Harbor Studnicka – 2nd place, 6 year old girls Grant Cullen – 1st place, 6 year old boys Zeke Kellogg – 1st place, 7 year old boys Finley Richard – 1st place, 8 year old girls Brynnlee Spurley – 3rd place, 10 year old girls Carter Smith – 1st place, 10 year old boys Kaylin Spurley – 2nd place, 11 year old gir

Kimberly Jacobson, Program Director at Family Promise of Grant County, accepts a $1,000 check from Platteville Optimist Club President, Terri Ellis. Family Promise's mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community based response. Their vision is a community in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. They provide shelter, meals, and support services to homeless families i

L-R: Lisa Sanger, Grant County Social Services, Services Support Specialist andTerri Ellis, Optimist Club President Lisa Sanger from the Grant County Social Services accepted a $500 check from the Platteville Optimist Club for the Grant County Volunteer Mentor Program. Grant County Social Services and the Volunteer Mentor Program stive to recruit volunteers to mentor, teach, and support the youth of Grant County. This organization was formerly known as the Big Buddy Progra

L-R: Optimist Members Scott Onson and Amy Coffey, Darin Shireman from Wayfarer Coffee, Optimist Club President Terri Ellis Darin Shireman is the former owner of Badger Bros Coffee and current owner of Wayfarer Coffee. Wayfarer Coffee is a coffee roaster and shop in Dubuque known for ethically sourced, small-batch roasted beans, and a mission to promote community connection. They also supply their roasted beans to other local businesses. Darin admits that after many years in

The topic for our 2026 Essay Contest was How My Acts of Service Help Me Understand What My Community Means to Me. The winners this year won not only the Essay Contest but also the Oratorical Contest. Nuzaira Rabbini, daughter of Farzana Marni and Mohammad Rabbini of Platteville placed first in the competition. She will receive $150 from the Platteville Optimist Club. As first place winner, Nuzaira will advance to the District Level, where the winner will receive a plaque and

L-R: Optimist Club President Terri Ellis presents a check to Kira Reyna from Family Advocates Kira Reyna accepted a $1,000 check on behalf of Family Advocates. Kira expressed their sincere appreciation for the funds which will be used for summer camps and special experiences for the children Family Advocates' serves. In past years, these experiences have included trips to a waterpark, zoo, escape rooms, jump parks and cookouts at a park. They're excited to continue offeri

Mattie Schutte Mattie Schutte left her home in Berlin, Germany to spend the school year as a foreign exchange student at the Platteville High School. She and last week's speaker, Nadia de las Rivas are both staying with Optimist Amber Monroe. Mattie has had to adjust from living in a large metropolitan area to the much slower pace of our small city. She shared pictures of festivals in Germany, which almost always include German beer. Both large and small Christmas markets a

Left and center: Nadia de las Rivas, PHS foreign exchange student. Right: Nadia and Optimist Victoria Hundhausen share a few words in Spanish. Nadia de las Rivas, a foreign exchange student at Platteville High School, is spending the school year with Optimist Club member Amber Monroe. Nadia is from Spain but more specifically from Palma the capital city of the island of Mallorca. Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Mallorca is the largest of the five islands comprising the Bal

L-R: Paul Budden, Platteville Fire Department with Optimist Club President Terri Ellis On behalf of the Platteville Fire Department and the New Fire Facility Fundraising Committee, Paul Budden accepted a $3,000 check from the Platteville Optimist Club. The Optimist Club committed to a $5,000 pledge for the new fire station in 2024 and they have now fulfilled their pledge. Paul reported on the progress being made with the new station. Those that drive by the new facility c

L-R: Platteville Music Boosters Officers Jana Haight, Annie Cox, Joanna Richter, and Platteville Optimist Club President Terri Ellis Platteville Music Boosters officers accepted a $500 grant from the Platteville Optimists. The music boosters recently completed a major fundraising effort to install a new sound system in the Platteville High School Auditorium. The school district covered 50% of the cost. The boosters were awarded grants from the Platteville Optimist Club an