By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Barton County's Youth Crew is staying busy into the spring. Members of the youth-led drug prevention task force recently attended the Take Down Tobacco Day of Advocacy event in Topeka. Prevention Advocate Tyler Morton said the group is now preparing for the statewide Youth Leaders in Kansas (YLinK) conference to be held in Hoisington in June.
"We've been doing different things here in Barton County that people have gained notice of, so we were asked back August, after we got back from our big trip, if we would be willing to host it," he said.
Morton continues to see growth in Youth Crew. Eight members attended the YLinK conference in Hesston two years ago. That number bloomed to 16 last year for a trip to Salina. YLinK provides youth an opportunity to interact with peers, supportive adults, and their communities in a positive way. Youth Crew member Mya Brewer, a sixth grader in Hoisington, is already gearing up for the June 12 event.
"I'm excited because there are going to be new people that I'm going to meet," she said. "I'm excited so we can raise more awareness and drug usage and bullying."
Barton County Youth Crew members are also planning for the national Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) conference scheduled for mid-July in Chicago. The group has sent members to Florida and Texas over the past two years. Six members attended last year's event in Dallas which featured 2,500 attendees and 500 youth.