Great Bend shoppers have the opportunity to participate in a fun event this Saturday as they visit local retail stores and support Small Business Saturday. The sixth annual Great Bend Cookie Contest is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing people to sample cookies from 15 participating business locations and vote for the best cookies in town.
 “The cookie contest has become a tradition for shoppers and their families over the past six years,” said Jennifer Stoddard, Rosewood Services representative and a Cookie Contest organizer.  “It’s a win-win event for retailers, shoppers and the community, with the money raised going to a very worthy cause.”
 A donation of $5 is suggested for all participating judges, with the collected proceeds going to the Food Bank of Barton County.
 To be a judge for the cookie contest and vote for your favorite cookies, stop by Cookie Headquarters at Rosewood Furniture Gallery, 16th and Main in downtown Great Bend, to pick up a cookie box and voting bracelet. All votes must be returned to Cookie Headquarters by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 “It is exciting to see all of the shoppers with their cookie boxes as they visit each business, try their cookies and gather drawing tickets,” said Stoddard. “Plus, who doesn’t love shopping and cookies!”
 Besides getting to tame their sweet tooth and having a say in retail cookie bragging rights, Cookie Contest judges have a chance to win prizes during drawings that will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, following the Home For The Holidays Parade in downtown Great Bend. Drawing winners must be present at the band shell of Jack Kilby Square in order to win prizes. Following prize drawings, the winner of the Great Bend Cookie Contest will be announced.
 Businesses participating in this year’s Great Bend Cookie Contest are Rosewood Furniture Gallery (Cookie Headquarters), Artisan Soaps, Bass-X Autosound and Accessories, Beautiful Beginnings Boutique, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co., Defy Expectation Clothing Company, Golden Belt Bicycle Co., Office Products Inc., Johnson’s Smokehouse BBQ, Kustom Floor Designs, Miss Pretty Pickles/Heart of Kansas Mercantile, P&S Security, Rana Luna Boutique, Renue Salon and Spa/ Yours Truly LLC, Rosewood Wine Cellar.