The club donated $500 to the Empire School spirit squad, with the funds coming from a scholarship program put in place by child behavioural specialist Layne Pethick as part of a donation from a recent presentation Pethick gave in the city.
“Layne is taking the money for a conference he did here and wanted the money to go to scholarships in our name, but here are other scholarships presented by us, so we wanted this to be in his favour since he donated this money,” said Layne's mom Lynann Pethick, who made the presentation alongside husband and fellow longtime Optimist member Lloyd.
Layne received a $2,000 honorarium for a seminar he did a handful of years ago for the Optimist club and asked that the fund be turned into a scholarship in Lloyd and Lynann’s name.
“He went to Empire School, when we moved over here in ‘85 he did his Grade 8 here and then the rest over at Riverview,” Lynann explained. “Then he ventures over into the U.S. for his schooling and has done very well.”
Indeed.
Pethick now holds a doctorate in business/organizational leadership as well as a Masters in special education with a concentration in human behaviour, emotional/behavioural disorders and autism spectrum disorder, along with degrees in elementary education, early childhood education and reading.
He’ll be holding a special ‘Brain Builders’ childhood learning seminar at the end of the month.
“He loves it, he could work 24 hours a day and never tire out doing this, as long as he’s helping any kid it doesn’t matter, that’s what he wants,” Lynann said.
Empire School, meanwhile, plans to put the funds to good use.
“Specifically, with the money that’s been donated, we want to put it back into the community so we’re going to open a community garden,” said Empire teacher and spirit squad advisor Ashley Tran.
“We’re going to purchase a community spot and all the kids in the school will help take care of the garden, putting seeds in for planting, taking them out for harvest and then giving it back to our families and using some of it for our breakfast program… we’re really putting it into the community aspect and sharing it with everyone.”
A project that would likely have not happened without the Optimist Club donation.
“It’s awesome and really appreciated,” Tran said.
