Nothing pleases me more than seeing a group of volunteers working together and excited about a project. Working in the Cottonwood Extension District, we see this all the time. Last weekend our 4-H families came out in force to serve a barbecue meal in our community. Besides enjoying a delicious meal, 4-H’ers had set up displays, showcasing the many project areas available to enroll in. October is the perfect month to consider getting your kids enrolled in the 4-H and Youth program, so call the Extension office for more information.
Last Saturday a group of scouts, their dads, and several other volunteers had a productive day working at the Central Baptist Church Bicycle Campground. As a member of the Be Well Barton County task force, I have watched things develop in the grassy space located behind the church at Lakin and Harrison. Signage and a bicycle repair station were the first improvements made. Two years ago, when Adventure Cycling announced that the Trans America Bike Trail would re-route through Great Bend, we found volunteers to continue making improvements to the campground. Picnic tables have been refurbished and an electric re-charging station was added. Recently a church member donated a shelter, and another member donated an additional picnic table.
A week ago, Jason Cauley installed a beautiful wooden sign on the shelter that welcomes our bicycle campers. Before they were finished with the installation, a cross country cyclist, Grant, from Oregon, arrived after his day’s ride. He was excited to have a shaded place to pitch his tent.
Another big project has been to get a water well dug, to provide potable water for our campers. By participating in a community bike ride in July we made a connection with Delbert Randolph and his wife Hope. They were looking for a project that could serve as a memorial to their son, Devin, who lost his life to suicide a year ago. Delbert thought this would be the perfect project for an Eagle Scout candidate, Felix Diaz. Funding for this project came from the Randolphs and a gift from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, which is part of the Central Kansas Partnership.
Excitement was in the air as the scouts watched the water well being dug. Besides the work that Felix did to get the proper permits needed for the project, the scouts also worked to install a kiosk provided by a Be Well grant. The kiosk will display a map, as well as services available in our community. We plan to include a QR code to gather information from the cyclists and add emergency phone contacts.
As the season for cross country cyclists is winding down, it is the perfect time to reflect on the riders who have a first impression (and hopefully a lasting impression) about our community that is positive and inviting. The guest book that has been signed by many of our campers has been interesting. Visitors from England, Germany, Italy, South Korea, New Zealand, and a dozen or more states, makes our world seem a little smaller. As my husband John and I have visited with many of the riders, it is fun to hear of their adventures. The most unique group of riders were three young ladies who attended a school for the deaf in the DC area. One of the ladies heard well enough to sign for the other two so we could visit. I followed their blog when they left Great Bend and celebrated when I heard they had made it safely to their east coast destination. Cyclists found out about our campground from other cyclists on the trail and now we are on Google maps.
I would encourage you to think of the community you live or work in and see if there is a project that could enhance the lives of others. Then, it is a matter of building relationships and finding the connections to see a project through. The sense of pride you will feel is amazing!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.
