The Great Bend recreation Commission sponsors many different programs and other activities throughout Great Bend and now they have helped out another local club with a donation.
The GBRC donated a DJI Phantom 3 Drone to the Park School Drone Club on Monday.
The drone club is an after-school program at Park Elementary School. Members shoot video and take pictures with the drones and put these images together in short videos for different organizations throughout Great Bend.
There are six children involved with the drone club.
Before receiving their new drone the club was using an older model of the DJI Phantom which does not have the same technology that the new one has.
“With this new drone we can get more children involved with the program,” Park Elementary Principal Phil Heeke said. “This new drone allows longer flight times and has a much better camera.”

Other business
The GBRC approved on Monday to renew their health and commercial insurances.

Directors’ reports
Megan Hammeke said bowling continues to be popular with the special needs clients, with 262 participants in March. April activities include: Bowling, Spring Sheep, Spring Dance, Pick a ceramic, Tweetie Birds and Easy Cooking.
Hammeke also reported on programs for senior citizens. March saw people participate in Fit for Life classes – they met 10 times with 225 participants – and three different levels of Tai Chi instruction that met 20 times. Gentle Yoga exercise class met eight times with 68 participants.
Chris Umphres reported on sports, he said that youth soccer games will run on Saturdays and Sundays this year. Games will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and finish about 9:30 p.m. The season will end April 24 and awards will be handed out to the appropriate teams.
He also mentioned that adult volleyball is still going strong, with games being played every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and will finish up at the end of April.
Diann Henderson reported on leisure programs, noting that the Imagination Playground is set up on the first and third Wednesdays at the Activity Center. It is free for children ages 2 years and older accompanied by an adult. Morning sessions meet from 9:30–11 a.m. and evening sessions are from 6:30-7:30 p.m. With the weather turning nice. The GBRC will only be offering the 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. time in the month of April. They will not meet during the month of May and then offer it again during June and July.
She also mentioned that the GBRC is co-sponsoring “Walk Kansas” with the Barton County Extension Office.
Teams are formed with six members that collectively try to walk 423 miles, the distance across Kansas.
The 8-week walking program began April 3 and ends May 28.
The entry fee was $8 per person and goes to the Barton County Extension Office.
This year they have 41 teams with a few more possible coming in within the next few days. Last year they ended up with 57 teams.
GBRC Director Diann Henderson reported that for the month of March, 3,581 people were enrolled in programs sponsored by the Recreation Commission. Total participation for the month was 16,088; of that total 8,375 were spectators. A total of 1,370.5 hours of supervised recreation activities were offered for the month of March.