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Hayes, CVB honored for Santa Fe Trail promotions
Great Bend helped support trail 200th anniversary events
christina hayes cvb award
Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes, left, receives a plaque from Santa Fe Trail Association, Quivira Chapter, President Linda Colle during the City Council meeting Monday night. Hayes was recognized for her efforts to promote this year as the 200th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail. - photo by DALE HOGG Great Bend Tribune

This year marked the 200th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail, an historic route that passed through Great Bend. During the City Council meeting Monday night, Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes was recognized for her efforts in promoting this bicentennial. 

Linda Colle, president of the Quivira Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association presented Hayes with a plaque for her work.

“Christina Hays and the Great Band Convention and Visitor’s Bureau team have worked with a Quivira Chapter since 2019 to prepare for the 200th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail National Historic Trail,” Colle said, “Christina met with our team and provided ideas, time, funding and design expertise in assisting the chapter and the Santa Fe Trail 200th commemoration.”

Colle said Hayes and her staff designed and printed rack cards to promote the chapter and community events. And she designed the “very successful” passport books that helped guide people along the trail to historic sites. 

The CVB provided funding to print 5,000 copies of this booklet and they have about 10 left. “We’ve given all of those out,” she said.

Hayes also supported the chapter in designing and funding its web page, and supported its Facebook page. In addition, it backed special anniversary events and provide use of its Zoom account for virtual programing.

“We are so grateful for the Great Bend CVB support that made so many of our events successful,” Colle said. 

In September, the Santa Fe trial Association presented awards for 2021 at a symposium at the historic Bent’s Fort in Colorado. Among these was this award of merit to Hayes and the CVB.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “We appreciate everything.”

“I really wasn’t expecting a plaque and everything,” Hayes said. “It was really nice that they did that.

“I just want to say thank you to you guys for letting me be your representative and really put on a great face for Great Bend,” Hayes said. “I really do love being a partner to other communities and being a shining star for our region. So thank you to all of you for allowing me to kind of spread my wings,and be able to do things like the Santa Fe Trail activities and participate in a big way.”