JOOI Club
JOOI club (pronounced joy) stands for Junior Optimist Octagon International.
“To reach out to our community, we work with the Paso Robles Optimist Club composed of many different volunteers of different backgrounds who have graciously presented us with potential opportunities to reach out,” Fairburn said. So far this year, the club has held monthly street cleanups on Creston, held a spelling bee for our local third graders, helped out the Toy Bank, and more. Fairburn believes these events are especially important at this time as, “Right now, our community and beyond has suffered the immense impact of COVID-19, political division, and plausible economic/environmental devastation – depending on who or where in the world you are, “ Fairburn said. “Everyone seems to be on high alert or is in search of a glimmer of hope. If helping out our small community could make at least one person smile, then I think we’ve done our job.”
“What I think sets the Optimist Club apart is that it motivates and inspires to help other students as the ultimate goal. We have funded scholarships and helped elementary school students have cool experiences and find passion in learning. The fact that high school students are able to bridge this gap is amazing.”
Seth Draine, JOOI club advisor and APUSH teacher
A major part of the JOOI club reputation was Bill Pluma, a senior community member who put much of his efforts towards children and teens in the community. He sadly passed away Dec. 12, 2021. During his time serving the community, he raised $3,000 to help keep the career center open, awarded thousands of dollars in annual scholarships for high school students, organized the annual spelling bee for elementary students, organized the yearly Day of Giving for the Toy Bank, and was nationally honored and recognized for his community service and organizing efforts in Paso Robles. As fellow colleague Robin Smith reminisces, “… Bill believed that volunteerism is a vital investment in our community and the people who live in it.”
