The Optimist Club of Greater-Vienna celebrated its 60th anniversary of service to the youth of community with a big bash on the Town Green on June 14. The Optimists served free refreshments, some guests came dressed hippie-style, and RSVP played the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Photo by Donna Manz.
The Optimists Club of Greater Vienna celebrated its 60th anniversary serving the youth of the community in-style, with a colorful and musical bash on the Town Green on the afternoon of June 14. Those hippies on the Town Green were Optimists, reimagining the “hippie” lifestyle of the ‘60s and ‘70s. For some they were memories, for others, imagination.
Sixties cover band RSVP, two women and a man dressed in the fashion of musicians of that era, performed the classics of the 1960s and ‘70s, from the Kinks and Jefferson Airplane to the Turtles and Sonny and Cher, and lots of pop nostalgia in between. RSVP donated its time and professional talents to the Optimists.
Members of Vienna’s own “Shockwave” Frisbee team showed up, as did several local officials. The Optimists served snacks and bottled water, and hosted a dance contest. Even bikers off the W&OD stopped by after hearing the music.
The Optimist Club of Greater-Vienna was chartered by Optimist International on June 21, 1955. The club’s dominant fundraising vehicle is its annual Christmas tree sales on Maple Avenue in Vienna. Funds support a diversity of service projects, from scholarships to local students to essay contests for hearing-impaired children. The Vienna Optimists sponsor Walk and Family Fun Day for Growing Hope, supporting research and resources for families in treatment for childhood cancer. The Vienna Farmers Market, producers-only, is managed by the Optimists, and the caboose off Church Street is maintained and opened by the club.
To learn more about the Optimists of Greater-Vienna or to join, go to www.OptimistClubofGreaterVienna.org. Guests are welcome to visit a meeting. Updates of the club are at Facebook.com/ViennaOptimistClub.