Locally, the Grand Strand Optimist Club was founded in Myrtle Beach in 1984 by George Cox, who is still an active member today. Since those first days, the local club has served the Myrtle Beach community as a non-profit organization, dedicated to helping and enriching the lives of children in the area. The club members do this through a variety of service projects, fundraisers, scholarship programs, and mentoring. Some of those projects and scholarship programs offered in the past include a Bicycle Safety program, Hook a Kid on Golf, Essay and Oratorical Contests and Spelling Bee, Special Olympics, and the Grand Strand Miracle League.