This week’s Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee was hosted by the Barton County Conservation District. Here are some announcements from the meeting:

• Cottonwood Extension District is getting ready for Walk Kansas. For about 30 years, this spring program has encouraged people to put together a team of two to six people and track how far they can walk as a group between March 22 and May 16.

• The Great Bend Optimist Club Sloppy Joe Dinner and Dessert will be Sunday, March 22, at Walnut Bowl, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Golden Belt Community Foundation scholarship applications are due Sunday, March 15. Area seniors can apply online. Also, the spring community grant applications are due at the end of the month.

• The Family Crisis Center will have a 5K Run on April 11, which is the same day as the GBHS Prom (details to come). Meanwhile, the Bunco and Bags fundraisers are March 27 and March 28 at the Great Bend Events Center. Doors open at 6:30 both nights; Friday is the Ladies Night Out Bunco Fundraiser and Saturday is the Mens Night Out Cornhole Fundraiser. Find information at familycrisiskansas.com under the “Latest News” tab.

• Stueder Contractors, 3410 10th St., has free kits for water testing. Pick up the kit at the business and send the sample to Hutchinson. Different kinds of tests are available; the customer pays for the shipping and testing.

• Sunflower Diversified Services’ Westside Market, 5523 10th St., will have free samples of Roasted Gypsy Coffee all day on March 27. It is selling tickets for the pancake dinner from 4-7 p.m. on March 26 at the Prince of Peace Parish Center, 4100 Broadway Ave. The tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. There will also be a raffle. Proceeds support children and adults with special needs.

• The next Great Bend Chamber Coffee and Ribbon Cutting will be at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 19, at Big Bend Custom Engraving, 1724 Main. The program will be at 9:30 and the ribbon cutting will follow, around 10 a.m.