Local patrons supporting a Perfect Attendance Bicycle Giveaway program received approval Monday from the Great Bend USD 428 school board to continue the program. They will donate bicycles to each elementary school to use for student perfect attendance incentives.
The program is spearheaded by Karen Shaner and Jane Isern, but numerous donations are collected throughout the community to purchase bicycles, Superintendent Khris Thexton said. This will be the eighth year for this program.
Later in the school board meeting, Thexton presented a list of gifts for the board’s approval.
“We have a very supportive and very generous community,” he said. The gifts included:
• Allan and Janice Walker contributed $100 to the USD 428 student lunch program to reduce student lunch debt.
• An anonymous donor contributed $75 to the student lunch program at Eisenhower Elementary to reduce student lunch debt.
• The Fort Larned Old Guard contributed $300 to reimburse busing fuel costs for USD 428 students to visit the Fort Larned National Historic Site.
• Barton County Special Services received $500 from The Upside of Down Syndrome Group and $200 from Superior Essex to fund holiday activities for special education students.
• GBHS Activities Department received two donations from the Panther Booster Club totaling $2,592.80 and four “touchdown donations” from Marmie Ford Inc. totaling $850.
• Golden Belt Community Foundation Giving Tuesday provided grant contributions:
- Eisenhower Elementary $116.65
- Jefferson Elementary $909.29
- Lincoln Elementary $585.44
- Park Elementary $38.59
- Riley Elementary $28.00
Each school also received $500, for a total of $2,500, in Giving Tuesday Kids Grants for participating in the School Challenge.
•GBHS received $2,000 from CUNA Mutual Group for the VTC Club and $1,000 from Blackstone Resources LLC for the Vocational Department to purchase an aluminum welder.
• The Box Top Program contributed funds for participation in the Box Top incentive program: Lincoln Elementary $441.30; Riley Elementary $132.70.
• Contributions were received for the GBHS Hall of Fame event in the amount of $2,700. Contributors include $275 cash from various donors, Mac Holman $30, Don Learned $15, John and Nancy Francis $250, Dennis and Jann Sherman $250, Tom Berscheidt $30, Innovative Livestock Services Inc. $250, Keller Real Estate & Insurance Agency $250, Tatum Dunekack $100, Mark’s Custom Signs, $250, Marmie Motors Inc. $500, Office Products Inc. $150, Spectrum CPA Partners LLC $100, Stueder Contractors Inc. $250.
• GBMS received a $1,000 contribution from the GBMS Booster Club.
• Lincoln Elementary received $400.91 from Kroger Co. for community rewards incentives.
