The weather outside was frightful but inside the Great Bend Events Center was delightful on Saturday as 270 teens attended the annual Great Bend High School Hollyball.

Club sponsor Holly Johnson said the Arabian Nights theme was popular and students were excited to move the venue to the Events Center, instead of its usual location at Great Bend High School.

“It went really well,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll keep it at Events Center as long as possible; we’ll be there the next two years for sure.”

Hollyball is a very “promlike” event, a dance with attendees in formal attire. The major difference is that only juniors and seniors may attend prom, but that freshmen and sophomores may also attend Hollyball if they are members of Kayettes.

This organization for high school girls is part of the Kansas Association for Youth (KAYS) organization, a character-building, leadership training service program directed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

Community service required to attend GBHS event

GBHS Kayettes has 215 members and many attended with their dates.

“It was very cold,” Johnson commented.

“The girls ran in fast.”

Members sell holly before Christmas to pay for the event, which featured a dance and games, a chocolate fountain and theme decorations. An art teacher and Johnson’s sister offered temporary “Arabian Nights” tattoos, using henna-style body art pens. There was also a photo booth and water to drink.

To attend Hollyball and invite a date, each Kayette was required to sell holly and earn at least four community service points. Johnson said some of the services performed were helping younger children at after-school activities and at the Great Bend Public Library, and participating in Trick or Treat for Project HOPE, an international disaster relief organization. There were also members shoveling snow last week for lastminute points.

The KAYS organization dates back to the 1940s.

Johnson doesn’t know how long Hollyball has been a GBHS tradition but she has a photo of a Kayettes gala from the 1950s. “I don’t know if they called in Hollyball,” she said.