Sawyer Luker, the winner of the New Ulm Optimist Club’s oratorical contest.

NEW ULM – New Ulm Middle School (NUMS) 8th grader Sawyer Luker recently won the Optimist Club of New Ulm’s oratorical contest based on a theme of “How Optimism Has Guided Me Through Trying Times.”

Luker was awarded first place for the honor and was the recipient of a certificate, a first place medal, and a cash scholarship for $300. In addition, Luker will be sent to the District level where he will compete against winners from other Optimist Clubs in the District. The winner of the District competition will have the opportunity to win a scholarship, and then possibly on the Optimist International Regional/World Championship for a chance to win an additional $5,000 or up to another $15,000 scholarship.

“Sawyer did a wonderful job presenting his speech about the questions posed in the speaking prompt,” Club Contest Coordinator Sandra Juni said. “The members of our Optimist Club have no doubt that Sawer has a bright future ahead of him.”

The Optimist Club of New Ulm has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for several years and has been active in the community since 1997. Other programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include funding local service organizations with an emphasis on developing youth. The Optimist Club is often seen at community festivities preparing their famous Cheese Curds as one source of revenue for the club. Last year the Optimist Club of New Ulm distributed over $71,000

to local youth organizations.

Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with over 80,000 adult and youth members in almost 3,000 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and throughout the world. The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs, with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually. Carrying the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Youth, in our Communities, and in Ourselves,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about the Optimist Club, please visit the organization’s website at newulmoptimistclub.org or on Facebook www.facebook.com/OptimistNU.