Blustering winds tended to discourage people from loitering outside Saturday, but a handful of volunteers took turns standing outside the Walmart Supercenter.
Megan Hammeke’s smile never faltered as she stood next to her husband Ryan, greeting people as they entered the store.
“Hi, we’re conducting a drive for charity,” she said, offering shoppers a list of items needed at the Barton County Food Bank, the Life Giving Center or Catholic Social Service. As they exited the store, many stopped to drop off some food or soap or paper towels or other items on the list. The Hammekes soon had a shopping cart full.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., volunteers from the Barton County Young Professionals worked at both the north and south entrances to the Supercenter, sometimes meeting in the middle to empty the contents of their shopping carts into a colorful bus, donated for the day. Great Bend Rotary Club helped organize the event.
The Hammekes are both members of the YP group, and Megan is on the steering committee.
“We try to do two ‘community impact’ charity events during the year,” she said. The rest of the year is more social, with family oriented mixers and other adults-only mixers. The group is also a source of professional networking and even some leadership training. It’s open to anyone who lives in the Barton County area and is between the ages of 21 and “40ish.”     
For the Hammekes, the YP group was a great reintroduction to the community, Megan said.
“We’re both from Great Bend,” she said. “We went away to college and came back.”
While YP helps bring Barton County’s young professionals together, Rotary Club tends to attract established business leaders, said Harry Willems, president of the Great Bend chapter. “The Rotary is a slightly older group and we’re looking for younger members.”
The Barton County YP members conducted a successful Charity Supply Drive on their own last year, but got some extra help this year from the Great Bend Rotary. Rotary’s primary motto is, “Service above self,” and the local chapter also does service projects throughout the year.
To enhance the YP Charity Supply Drive, Great Bend Rotary donated $1,200, which was matched with $700 from Rotary International, Willems said.
Christy Tustin, another Rotary member, said the bus was about half full of donated items by 1 p.m. Saturday, but Rotary would put some of its grant money to use buying more items. “We can go in the store and buy a few more of the items that we didn’t get as much of.”
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For more information: Barton County Young Professionals is a program of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development, and is sponsored by several businesses. Membership is free. Find the group on Facebook or online at www.greatbend.org/YoungProfessionals.aspx , or call the chamber, 620-792-2404.
Great Bend Rotary Club, founded in 1923, meets each Monday at noon at the Highland Hotel. For more information call 793-8583 or 793-6290.