DECA has an ongoing community service project involving the two Ronald McDonald Houses located in Wichita. The project is headed by juniors Kristen Nease and Marissa Dinkel, but the entire DECA chapter as well as members of the Ellis County community also helps out.

The Ronald McDonald Houses provide rooms for families from around Kansas who have to travel to Wichita due to family members in need of medical care.

“Each room in the house takes $80 a day to run, but they only charge families 15 dollars,” DECA instructor Shaina Prough said. “And if they can’t pay the 15 dollars, then our Adopt a Family program helps them pay it.”

DECA is raising money by collecting pull tabs, collecting money, and selling McDonalds coupon books.

“The Wichita Iron and Metal helps cash in the pull tabs, and the coupon books contain $15 worth of product but cost only $5.” Prough said. “The house gets 100 percent of the money.”

Recently, DECA officers went to talk with and thank an Ellis High School class for their pull tab donations.

“The Ellis FCCLA sponsor was in charge of this community service event when she was in DECA,” DECA instructor Shaina Prough said. “So she challenged her classes to a contest. The class that collected the most pull tabs will get a free meal at McDonalds.”

The Ellis students have also been helping to collect money and sell McDonald coupon books for the cause.

“We also started ‘Miracle Minute’ this year, where we passed around buckets at the Great Bend basketball came for a minute to collect change,” Prough said. “We collected around $348 just in that minute, and we are planning to do it again before semi-finals during the Bob Kuhn Classic.”

The Hays High DECA chapter will be going to Wichita for their annual work day on Jan. 22.

“It’s heartwarming that these students are willing to help benefit families they will potentially never see or meet,” Prough said. “It really restores my hope in young people.”

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