FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Greensburg, Indiana – On Monday, February 23, 2026 seven students wrote an original 4-5 minute speech on
the topic of “The Moment I Realized I Belonged – My Definition of Community.”
We have exceptionally brave youth in this community who are willing to share their story and connect with
the prompt. Mackenzie Lohrum was awarded 1st place, Sydney Fry 2nd place, and Chloe Dick 3rd place.
The first and second place winners will proceed to compete in the North Zone Semi-Finals held at the Kurt
Vonnegut Museum and Library on Sunday, March 8. Both students will compete against winners from other
Optimist Clubs in the area. The winner of the zone competition will be sent to the District level with the
chance to win a scholarship, and then possibly to the Optimist International Regional/World Championship
for a chance to win an additional $5,000 or up to another $15,000 scholarship.
“The Oratorical Contest isn’t just about public speaking — it’s about helping young people find their voice and
gain confidence. They didn’t just present speeches — they shared pieces of their stories, and that takes
courage” Greensburg Optimist Club’s President Taylor Gramman shared.
The Greensburg Breakfast Optimist Club has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for a
number of years and plays an active role in our community since its chartered year of 1971. Community
members are welcomed to attend and join our club which meets every Thursday at 6:30 am at the Bread of
Life Soup Kitchen.
Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with over 80,000 adult and
youth members in almost 3,000 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and
throughout the world. The Optimist Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs,
with more than 2,000 clubs participating annually. Carrying the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Youth, in our
Communities, and in Ourselves,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six
million young people each year. To learn more about Optimist International, please visit the organization’s
website at www.optimist.org.
