HOISINGTON — Both Hoisington Middle School and Hoisington High School established Kansas Association for Youth clubs in their buildings this year. KAY is an organization, offered through the Kansas State High School Activity Association, that teaches leadership and character through service. Each year these clubs earn points for the various projects that they do for school, community, nation and world. Both Hoisington clubs have chosen to earn the gold award. To earn the gold award there are several requirements one of which is earning 1,000 points in service.

Currently clubs from all over the state are participating in KAY Citizenship Week — the first full week of December. The week is filled with various service projects for club, school, community, nation, world, family and home.

The students chose to pick up trash for their community service project. On Dec. 8, students from both clubs met at the Hoisington Activity Center to pick up trash in the field to the south of it. The students had a beautiful day to pick up trash and were able to make short work of it through teamwork. They were able to pick up a dumpster full of trash in a 45 minute time period!

Both clubs would like to thank their principals, Pat Reinhardt and Meg Wilson for allowing them to participate in the activity.

"We are excited to have charter clubs this year and hope to create a tradition of service through KAY," said Susan Lowry, sponsor

Those who helped pick up trash from HMS were: Brandy Bodine, Tagan Brown, Kelsey Brummer, Terance Croslin, Abbi Demel, Jacob Evans, Alexis Finger, Megan Hayne, Alyson Klug, Nolan McCurry, Seth Owen, Lexi Sanders, Jacob Satterlee, Jessica Schauf, Garret Schneider, and Grace Unrein.

Those who helped from the HHS were: Julie Bitter, Jennifer Funk, Shannon Lacey, Olivia Lowry, Ashton Nickelson, MyKela Riedl and George Tombaugh.