Olathe Noon Optimist Club - Optimist International, District 37

10/20/2026

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING STEAK FRY COMMITTEE!

The success of the Olathe Noon Optimist Club's 4th Annual Steak Fry wouldn't have been possible without the dedication, hard work and enthusiasm of an incredible committee!

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, donors, attendees and volunteers, nearly $10,000 was raised to support technical scholarships for Olathe high school seniors!

🌟 Please join us in recognizing our outstanding Steak Fry Committee:
Marlene Natoli, Chair
Barbara Cordts
Erica Derrington (Olathe School District)
Diane Gossage
Mary and Phil Griffin
Joni Hiatt (FosterAdopt Connect)
Carolyn Holland
Tom Kearney
Judy Leary
Debbie Michalski
Catherine Rice (Health Partnership Clinic)
Connie Snider

👏 And a special thank-you to our fellow Olathe Noon Optimist Club members! Whether you sold tickets, made phone calls, secured sponsorships and donations, helped with setup and teardown, or pitched in wherever needed, your contributions made a difference.

Fundraising events like this take many hands and countless hours behind the scenes. Your teamwork, generosity and commitment to helping young people succeed are what make our club so special.

Together, we're investing in the futures of Olathe students, one scholarship at a time! 💙

10/20/2026

Members of the Olathe Noon Optimist Club Scholarship Steak Fry Committee got together Monday for an event wrap-up meeting. They also enjoyed appetizers at 3rd Street Social in Olathe and celebrated a successful Steak Fry! Once again, thanks to everyone who helped with this year’s dinner. Proceeds from the Steak Fry fund a scholarship for an Olathe senior who plans a career in the trades.

10/19/2026

Join us this Thursday at Jason’s Deli and help raise funds for our club’s many programs for young people in Olathe!

10/19/2026

Congratulations to our friends at Health Partnership on the updates to their clinic.

10/19/2026

10/17/2026

Thank you to Olathe Today for the wonderful post about the Olathe Noon Optimist Club’s Annual Scholarship Steak Fry.

OLATHE STEAK FRY HELPS SEND LOCAL STUDENT TO TRADE SCHOOL

The Olathe Noon Optimist Club's annual fundraiser is about more than a steak dinner. It's about giving a local student a chance to build a career.

OLATHE, Kan. — A steak dinner at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm is helping an Olathe student take the next step toward a career in the skilled trades.

The Olathe Noon Optimist Club held its fourth annual Scholarship Steak Fry on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Heritage Center at Mahaffie, bringing together community supporters, local businesses and volunteers to raise money for technical education.

The evening featured an 8-ounce Kansas City strip steak dinner prepared by Two Guys and a Grill. Tickets were $30 per person or $55 per couple, with sponsorships and donations providing additional support.

But the real purpose went well beyond dinner.

According to the club, proceeds help fund a full-ride scholarship for an Olathe high school senior pursuing a career in the trades. The club's technical education scholarships support students preparing for careers in fields such as construction, automotive technology, electrical work, welding and HVAC.

Following the event, organizers thanked donors, advertisers, sponsors, volunteers, the Max Mix family and everyone who attended for making the fundraiser a success.

The event comes during a milestone year for the organization. The Olathe Noon Optimist Club is celebrating its 80th anniversary, having served local youth since 1946. In July, the Olathe City Council recognized those eight decades of community service with an official proclamation.

The club also awards scholarships to students from Olathe's five public high schools and supports youth programs throughout the community.

For the Optimists, the steak fry is another way to invest in Olathe's future — one student at a time.

https://olathetoday.com/community/olathe-steak-fry-helps-send-local-student-to-trade-school/

10/16/2026

Thanks so much to everyone who helped make the Olathe Noon Optimist Club’s 4th Annual Scholarship Steak Fry a huge success. It was a wonderful evening with a great time had by everyone in attendance. We truly appreciate our Major Donors, Placemat Advertisers, In-Kind Sponsors, the Max Mix family, our volunteers and all the people who bought tickets and attended the event. Thanks also to Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm for such a lovely venue and Two Guys and a Grill for cooking the steaks to perfection! The money raised at the Steak Fry funds a full-ride scholarship for an Olathe senior entering the trades.

10/16/2026

Sharing more photos!

10/16/2026

Olathe Mayor Pro Tem Dean Vakas was one of the guest speakers at our Steak Fry event! Thank you to Dean and fellow councilman Jeff Creighton for attending and supporting Olathe students!

10/16/2026

Volunteers are the heart of a successful community event! 💙

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave their time and energy to help make the Olathe Noon Optimist Club’s Steak Fry Scholarship Event a success. From set-up and serving to welcoming guests, selling event tickets and cleaning up, our volunteers helped everything run smoothly.

A special thank you to the volunteers from the Olathe Teen Council and Olathe Junior Service League, along with our Optimist members and Steak Fry committee. Your willingness to serve helps us keep event costs down so more dollars can go directly toward scholarships for Olathe students pursuing technical education.