Take a costume, give a costume. The Great Bend Kiwanis Club conducted part one of its annual Halloween Costume Exchange last Saturday morning in front of the Great Bend Public Library. Dozens of children stopped by to pick up free costumes in time for Halloween.

Barb Esfeld, who coordinates the annual costume exchange, said this event started several years ago when a girl said she wanted to help one of her classmates who couldn’t afford to buy a costume. The club began to ask community members to donate their used costumes after Halloween so they could be cleaned and stored to give away the following year. The Kiwanis Club also has a budget to buy new costumes, which Esfeld usually does right after Halloween when they go on sale.

Next comes part two. After Halloween, families are encouraged to drop off their used costumes at the Great Bend Public Library so someone else can use them next year. There is a box inside the library.