Due to the winter-like weather, organizers decided Tuesday to postpone the first-ever Great Bend High School Community Service Day that was scheduled for today. The new date is Wednesday, May 1.
“Many of the scheduled projects took place outdoors with no protection” said GBHS biology teacher Andrea Maxwell. “We want the youth to have a positive experience with this project, and for basic safety of the students next Wednesday will be better.”
The 900 students were planning on being out of class and volunteering from 8:30 to 3:30 today. The schedule will remain the same, it will just take place a week later.
“We were holding out for as long as possible with this weather,” said GBHS teacher Kacey Ford. High school teachers, students and administrators made the call Tuesday afternoon.
Of the student volunteers, 300 would have been working outside.
“Students are bummed,” Ford said. “But they are still excited that the opportunity will be given to them.” 
Students and teachers at GBHS wanted to do something good for the community all while showing students the importance of volunteering, Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said. The student council members have been a huge drive for this project, and council members took the idea before the School Board for approval.
The STUCO members have also been involved in planning along with teachers Maxwell, Ford, and National Honor Society sponsor Kayci Scott. These students and instructors contacted Hayes to not only make connections to the city for community projects, but also various businesses and organizations to find things that needed to be done.
The STUCO kids learned about the idea last year at a conference from McPherson High School, and decided it ties in really well with the newly formed Volunteers in Action group in Great Bend, which encompasses the Retired Senior Volunteer Program with the focus to help volunteers of all ages.
For more information on the GBHS Student Service Day, contact Maxwell or Ford at the Great Bend High School office, 620-793-1521.