Do you have (or know) a young person who has something to say? You might want to check out the Optimist Club's oratorical contest. Oviedo's local contest is taking place this Thursday evening (March 13th) at the C.O.P.S. & Volunteer Center at Oviedo Marketplace (near Dillard's).

Qualified children (students younger than 16 as of Dec. 31) can compete in only one local contest per year, but Oviedo will allow any child to participate regardless of where the child lives. Show up at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and your student can compete -- as long as they have a properly completed application, a typed version of the speech on the designated topic ("Why Me? Why Not?") and a knowledge of the rules.  The speeches should be four to five minutes long.

To register on-site the student will need to show their birth certificate and provide a double-spaced copy of their speech. 

All participants will receive a certificate of participation.  The top three will receive a medallion recognizing their place.  And the overall winner will receive a $250 savings bond.  Local winners will also have a chance to go on to higher-level contests and earn scholarship money.

For details, call Mike Vogt at 407-365-8300.

The Oviedo Optimist Club is affilliated with Optimist International and meets every Thursday. 

1st Thursdays of each month they gather at 7 in the evening in C.O.P.S. & Volunteer Center at Oviedo Marketplace

All other Thursdays they gather at 7:30 in the morning in the Oviedo IHOP.

For more information email: oviedooptimist@aol.com