The annual Great Bend High School Hollyball was attended by about 250 teens last Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Great Bend Events Center. The theme was Deep Sea Dreams, with underwater decor, said Kayettes sponsor Holly Johnson.

A GBHS tradition, Hollyball is a formal dance, open to Kayettes and their dates. The girls ask the boys.

To be eligible to attend, girls in Kayettes have to sell holly in October for the Christmas season. They also have to have four community service points, which can be earned by performing a variety of different tasks to help the community. Some of the services performed in the past have included helping younger children at after-school activities and at the Great Bend Public Library; participating in Trick or Treat for Project HOPE, an international disaster relief organization; and shoveling snow.

Hollyball used to be held at the high school in recent years but moved to the Events Center in 2024. It was so successful that Johnson said they would book that venue again in 2025 and 2026.

The Kayettes organization for high school girls is part of the Kansas Association for Youth (KAYS) organization, a character-building, leadership training service program directed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.