by Lauren Pitts with Dawson Rogers
Logan County High School is known for its various clubs and sports. Whether Football,
FFA, or Beta, LCHS teams and clubs have students eager to be a part of something bigger than themselves while also having a community that supports them. The Junior Optimist Club was created by students with the goal of, according to 2019 LCHS graduate Cody Watkins, “helping others help others.” Of all that the Junior Optimist Club set out to accomplish, the most successful by far was the Run Your Race 5k, which earned over $6,000 for local charities. This race was hosted on Logan County’s campus and raised money for the John Foster Hendricks Scholarship fund, Agape Ministries, the Jesus Center, Salvation Army, and the Good Samaritan, all of which (aside from the Salvation Army, are located in Russellville).
When asked about the students’ involvement and responsibilities in the race, club sponsor, Grant Warren said, “The club members showed amazing initiative and took care of all the logistics and planning for the 5k. It was a proud moment as a teacher and sponsor watching members of our club come together and collaborate to create such an amazing event.”
Club member, Cody Watkins, shared the goal behind the club by saying, “The Run Your Race 5K comes from something a good friend of mine once told me: he said that "life is a race, and we must run it." According to Mr. Bailey, a club sponsor, Watkins poured more time into the club and the 5K than anyone, being a primary reason for its success. The race was not only to raise money for charity, but to inspire the community to run their race and know that they did not have to run it alone.
Coach Joe Dan Laster was also a major part in getting this race off the ground by volunteering to take care of course design and preparation at the high school. Laster said that “The race meant a lot to me. I was a part of John’s life for a very small moment in time and unfortunately never really knew how much of an impact I made on him until after he passed. This race was my way of telling John how much he impacted me.” Many of the members of the track and cross country teams participated in this race as well. One of them was Elijah Hopkins, a current senior. Elijah heard of this race through Coach Laster and says he was shocked at the 100+ people who came out to support. With an admission fee ranging from $20 to $25 and various donations, over $6,000 was raised for charity. Through both the race and the club, students are able to take part in giving to others by being unselfish with their time and their money.
With their success in the 5k, the Junior Optimist Club plans on hosting another race this year in order to raise money and awareness for charity. “Run Your Race” began to honor and remember former student, John Hendricks, by combining one of his favorite hobbies with a club that he started. Joe and Kaye Hendricks, John’s parents, say “What a blessing to us to see so many who supported John’s legacy and his dream for the Junior Optimist Club to be an organization that would give sacrificially to others and support others in our county.” They also shared that they plan on being involved in future 5Ks and they look forward to working with the LCHS Junior Optimist chapter this year.
As for the future of the Junior Optimist Club itself, Cody Watkins says, “The world will always need people who are willing to stand up and be the light in the darkness, and the Optimist Club is a good place to start.” Though Cody has graduated, he feels the club is left in good hands. Current Logan County students are bringing the same passion and “youthful energy,” as Coach Warren would say, that the club needs to thrive. Optimism is not only something that can be shown through organized events, but it is something that this world is desperate for and needs to be shown every day. That is the goal of Logan County High School’s Junior Optimist Club.
Comments