The Barton Community College Athletics Department celebrated its community engagement with local schools this week by inviting a large number of elementary students and their families to join the Cougars at Wednesday night’s basketball games vs Cloud County. Between games, children and student-athletes joined hand-in-hand to form a human chain on the gym floor.

“We have a number of teams engage in initiatives/activities with Barton County elementary schools,” said Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. For the past 12 years, teams have gotten involved at area schools with reading activities, recess activities and other initiatives. This was an opportunity to celebrate and publicly recognize these partnerships.

“It was awesome!” Rolfs said. The college athletes haven’t been able to meet with elementary students as much since the COVID-19 pandemic, but lately they’ve been able to return in full force, as demonstrated by Wednesday’s celebration. There were students from Great Bend USD 428’s elementary school classrooms where Barton athletes are involved, along with Hoisington and Ellinwood students.

“We’re trying to make it bigger and better every year,” Rolfs said.