Around The Cracker Barrel - Investing in Our Youth: Optimists, SEEF & a Community That Cares. (Aired 09/11/2026)

This week on Around the Cracker Barrel, host Guy Atchley welcomes members of the Optimist Club of Green Valley-Sahuarita and the Sahuarita Educational Enrichment Foundation (SEEF) to talk about the organizations’ shared commitment to supporting local students and strengthening education in the community. Guests Ken and Sue Woodward of the Optimist Club join SEEF Executive Director Shelley Lazardi and Board Secretary Judy White to discuss the many ways their organizations give back—from scholarships and teacher mini-grants to classroom projects, music programs and specialized educational support. The Optimist Club alone awards three $2,000 scholarships annually while supporting a variety of youth programs throughout Green Valley and Sahuarita. A centerpiece of their partnership is the 38th Annual Optimist-SEEF Golf Tournament, coming Saturday, October 24 at Haven Golf Course. The four-person scramble features an 8 a.m. shotgun start, prizes, raffles, breakfast and lunch, with proceeds helping both organizations continue their work for local youth. The conversation also highlights SEEF programs that help fill needs beyond the school district's regular budget, including classroom mini-grants, musical instruments, teacher professional development, Community Share and an important dyslexia intervention initiative. Guests share moving examples of students whose lives have changed when educators were given the resources and training needed to recognize and address their individual learning needs. The program also remembers longtime educator, former Sahuarita mayor and community volunteer Charles Oldham, a charter member of the Optimist Club and founding board member of SEEF whose dedication to young people left a lasting mark on the community. It’s a conversation about education, volunteerism, partnership and what can happen when a community comes together to invest in its young people.