Optimist Club of Moreno Valley Installs New Officers

With the view of the setting sun and the lights of the city lighting up just behind the podium, the Moreno Valley Morning Optimist Club held its annual recognition awards dinner and installed its officers for the upcoming year during an Oct. 4 Installation Dinner and Awards Ceremony. Tracey Vackar, who has been a member for 10 years, hosted the event with her husband, Ron. The two have hosted the event before, and explained they were excited to do so again. “The wind will just stay steady. It’s making the flag fly high, which is exciting,” said Tracey Vackar, a Career Technical Education Specialist for the Riverside Office of Education. Vackar explained that as a little girl, she would go to Optimist Club meetings and events with her great-uncle George. “It was actually a club I always knew I wanted to join,” she said. George Price, the club’s immediate past president, was also the very first president in 1992. He moved to Moreno Valley in 1990 to become the first Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Moreno Valley and worked for the city for 16 years, during which 20 parks were built. Shortly after starting with Parks and Recreation, he was approached to join the newly formed Optimist Club. “I kind of did it selfishly because as the director of the Parks and Recreation, you work with kids all the time,” he said cheekily. Tim Caszatt, the incoming president, has shown his passion for serving youth in a different way—as a teacher. Now retired, Caszatt taught math and science to middle school students for 36 years. Both Caszatt and Price cited their parents as their role models when they were growing up. Friday’s evening began with some opening remarks by Price, Vackar, and Jesus Holguin, school board clerk in the Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD). Price then led the Pledge of Allegiance and rang the traditional bell, on which is inscribed the name of every past club president. Afterwards, all guests at the dinner introduced themselves, by table. Dinner was catered by Saboreé. Among the guests were prominent figures in business, education, and community service. Price noted that the club has had an “unusual” number of past Citizens of the Year. In spite of this, Julie Reyes, who is in the committee for the awards dinner, said the event is “very casual.” Reyes is the Manager of Community and Municipal Relations for Waste Management, and, like several of its members, is not a resident of Moreno Valley. She said that most members have run in the same circles and built friendships over the years. Another guest, Lia Snell, volleyball coach and A.V.I.D. teacher at Moreno Valley High School (MVHS), had started a varsity jacket program three years ago to motivate her students who were in sports to get better grades. Snell came up with the idea to give a free varsity jacket to students who maintained a high G.P.A. and contributed community service hours. Soon after, Price contacted her and the Optimist Club picked up the program. This year, the Optimist Club gave away 19 jackets. Larry Froehlich and his granddaughter, Taylor Hite, were among the attendees. Froehlich has lived in Moreno Valley since 1986. One of the awards presented was named after his wife, Laura Froehlich, who served Moreno Valley and its military service members in particular for over two decades in various capacities. Taylor, who is 12 years old, is an honorary member of the Morning Valley Optimist Club. “All these people are really good friends,” said Holguin. “All these people are very supportive of everything that is happening in our city. So thanks to groups like these, many good things happen for our children, our students.” Holguin has served on the Moreno Valley school board for 11 years, and has worked in education administration for 28 years. His wife, Patricia, also works in the school district as an administrative assistant. “I’ve learned a lot from each and every one of them,” he said about the members of the Optimist Club. Holguin won the Friend of Youth award. “Every time I log onto Facebook, I see something new that Jesus has done for the youth,” said Price. Sarah Martinez, who works in Parks and Recreation and has spearheaded the Moreno Valley Youthfest, won an award for Rookie of the Year. Her two children received honorary member badges at the dinner. “We are mentors in a lot of different ways,” said Tom Finch, who is on the board of directors of the Optimist Club and works with the Youth Education Motivation Program. Finch works with the Youth Education Motivation Program and visits schools to speak to students about the importance of education. “I am passionate about education for kids because my wife was a teacher; she passed on [but] she used to always [refer to her students as] ‘my kids,’ and I didn’t understand what she meant. And then I found out what she meant and I’ve become involved,” he said. The winner of the Laura Froehlich Memorial Spirit of Volunteerism award was Visterra Credit Union, which was established in Moreno Valley 60 years ago and has been involved in community service through The Salvation Army, various holiday programs, Angel Tree, food donations, Relay for Life, and United Way, among others. Janet DuHaime, vice president and chief operating officer of Visterra Credit Union and club member for four years, won the award for Optimist of the Year. She currently chairs the varsity jacket program. “I am so excited. I love the club, I love everything that we do for the kids, and I just am so proud to be a part of it every day,” she said. Incoming president Tim Caszatt gave closing remarks, after being given Laura Froehlich’s denim jacket. He said that because of the quality of the people in the club, “You can’t just fail with this job. Laura Froehlich was the one that talked me into being on the board of directors, and I’m forever grateful to her for that because it’s been one of the greatest experiences of my life.” The club meets every Thursday morning at Bob’s Big Boy in Moreno Valley at 7 a.m.