By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
As the holiday season quickly approaches, the Hays Chamber’s Young Professionals wants to ensure those living in area assisted living and skilled nursing facilities receive a holiday message.
Starting at 10 am. Nov. 12, the group will host the Holiday Cheer Community Card Decorating Event at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main.
“They actually just started this event last year for the first time,” said Hays Chamber President and CEO Sarah Wasinger. “They really wanted to find a way to connect with our elderly community who, at that point in time, through COVID, were still kind of locked down.”
She said the group was able to share “some extra joy and cheer to some of those folks in those facilities.”
This year, they are inviting the public, young and old, to gather Saturday to the family-friendly event.
“Even if you're a young professional and you don't have children, that's OK, you can still come in, find your kid at heart and help come decorate some cards,” Wasinger said.
Last year, she said, the group decorated around 350 cards.
“That was actually enough cards to give one to every individual who was in one of our assisted living facilities in Hays,” Wasinger said. “But they also were able to do some over in Ellis.
“The goal would be to, of course, make sure that we have a card for every person this year as well,” she added.
The event will run until the cards are completed, but she said attendees are welcome to complete more than one card during the day.
Funding for supplies for the event was provided by the Hays Kiwanis Club.
“You can … make a couple of cards and really just, go crazy,” Wasinger said. “We have a lot of different supplies that we purchased last week, and they'll have all the cards pre-cut. And then really creativity just gets to kind of take flight, and they can kind of just do whatever they want to do.”
Light snacks and refreshments will be served during the event.
Along with the card-decorating event, Wasinger said the Hays Young Professionals frequently work to create family-friendly events for Ellis County residents.
“They just do a great job,” she said. “For those who may not be familiar with the Hays Young Professionals, they are a group of 21 to 40 years of age … but so if you have not engaged with them, this would be a great event to just kind of get your feet wet and figure out what they're all about.”
The YP group also has connection lunches — usually the third Tuesday of every month excluding November and December.
“They also have different social hours to where you can kind of engage and connect with folks,” Wasinger said.
“They've got a couple of different committees as well,” she continued. “There's a Networking and Engagement Committee that focuses on creating events such as these to give the folks a chance to come out and meet other young professionals, but also just really be able to kind of get involved in the business community. And then they also have a Membership Development committee that focuses on giving opportunities for leadership ... (and) providing professional development.”
Along with the committees, leadership is comprised of the Advisory Council.
“They meet once a month, and they the ones who help set the policy for the group and ... approve different events or anything new that is going on,” Wasinger said. “We absolutely love them. They are such a champion for our chamber.
“And really, it's a great place to get started. If you're not familiar with being a part of the chamber, come in as a young professional ... get your feet wet, and then see what else there is to take advantage of what the events that the chamber has throughout the year.”