Courtesy Photo Above is Optimist Club of Alpena essay winner Macy Rundell with her medallion and certificate, with her father, Ken Rundell.

Macy Rundell, a senior at Alpena High School, recently won the Optimist Club of Alpena’s essay contest based on a theme of “Reaching Your Dreams by Choosing Optimism.”

Rundell was awarded a certificate and medallion on Feb. 15 for the honor. In addition, the essay will be sent to the district level to be judged along with winners from other Optimist Clubs in the district. A college scholarship of $2,500 is available for the top winner at the district level.

“Rundell did a good job of articulating this year’s theme. She expressed herself well through the essay and deserved the honor of first place,” Club President Beckie Thomson said.

The Optimist Club of Alpena has been participating in the Optimist Essay Contest for many years and has been active in the community since 1959. Other programs and service projects that the club is involved in include The Oratorical Contest, Spring Break Family Fun Day, Kids’ Fishing Day with the Brown Trout Festival, and the Childhood Cancer Program, just to name a few.

Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 80,000 adult and youth members in 2,500 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the world. The club carries the mission statement, “By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves.”

Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about Optimist International, please call 314-371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at www.optimist.org.