The Optimist Club of Knoxville marked its 25th year quietly on Tuesday evening; but the club intends to keep doing plenty to benefit the town this year and for the years to come.

The meeting at Coffee Connection saw the club receive a certificate from their regional Lt. Governor; this year also happens to be the 100th anniversary of the international Optimist Club organization, making the occasion even more special for the members.

The club has come a long way from its formative years; Craig Kelley is the current president, and was in charge of the club back when it first formed, and he tells KNIA/KRLS News they had to experiment a bit before coming up with their signature Avenue of Flags project.

“We had chili for Homecoming, and it was 80 degrees; and so we postponed that to later, at the end of November…and lo and behold, it was 75 degrees then; so it wasn’t really chili weather” Kelley says.

The club eventually tried Avenue of Flags, and it’s been so successful that it’s the only fundraiser the club holds each year; it pays for the various scholarships, park projects and other youth-oriented projects the Optimist Club takes on.