KANOPOLIS — This year, the Fort Harker Days parade combined the role of grand marshall and Volunteer of the Year, awarding it to Smoky Hill River Pheasants Forever chapter.

“Hunting in this area is a really big deal, especially with Kanopolis Lake and Wilson Lake — we decided it’d be a good fit this year,” Kanopolis Mayor Anthony Hopkins said. “They help with conservation of habitat for pheasants. We have a couple local people here that are pretty big into that.”

Hopkins said the awards for grand marshal and Volunteer of the Year are a way of saying “thank you” to the community.

“In a small town like this, it takes like tons of volunteers, and usually whoever’s like grand marshal/ Volunteer of the Year has usually had a pretty big part of what’s gone on in Kanopolis for years,” Hopkins said.“Some of them are former council members or former mayors or business owners or managers of the businesses in town.

“For me, as someone that’s involved in a lot of different committees and organizations, I think it’s easy to feel like you’re not appreciated at doing this.”

President of Pheasants Forever Justin Wacker said it’s thanks to the support of the community that he, his wife, Season and all of their volunteers are able to run their organization.

“This is the time we get to enjoy the recognition of it because of the behind-thescenes work we put forth with getting events and raising money to do these things,” Justin Wacker said.

“This didn’t come overnight. This is years of building a good organization.”

Wacker said he keeps 100 percent of his money local, using it to contribute to organizations such as the Ellsworth trap team, ball fields or rec center improvement.

“It’s an honor, the award for being the Volunteer of the Year, because my wife and I wear so many different hats in this community that we know what it takes to be a volunteer on different levels and different organizations,” he said. “That’s the only way the small town organizations survive, is from good volunteers.”

Fort Harker Days has been celebrated since the mid-1970s. Hopkins said that since he took office of mayor eight years ago, the event has evolved into what it is today, matching the “energy” of the current city council.

“It’s had some different names over the years, but it’s been Fort Harker Days for quite some time,” Hopkins said. “A lot of the committee had been on for a long time and they were tired and wanted to get out, so we kind of got a little more aggressive with having more things to do, so they brought in bounce houses. I started a beer garden and I started a vendor’s area for arts and crafts type stuff … Then we do stuff on Friday night and Saturday instead of just Saturday now.”

Friday’s events took place from 5 p.m.-midnight, while Saturday’s ran from 7 a.m.midnight. The activities on Friday started with a sand volleyball tournament, whereas Saturday’s began with a co-ed softball tournament. Both days concluded with a free dance, which lasted from 8 p.m.-midnight.

“This is the time we get to enjoy the recognition of it because of the behind-the-scenes work we put forth with getting events and raising money to do these things.”

Justin Wacker

President of Smoky Hill River Pheasants Forever chapter