A handful of Emporia State students donated time and effort for a community event Jan. 27 celebrating Kansas Day at Red Rocks State Historic site, home of William Allen White at 927 Exchange St. William Allen White Community Partnership, Inc. planned the community event as a “thank you to the community for their support.”

While Kansas Day was actually this Tuesday, the event at the Red Rocks house was held Sunday to fit with the Sundays on the Porch format.

Scott Gdanski, secondary education major, volunteered for the Sunday afternoon event. Gdanski set up a Kansas trivia bingo game with candy prizes for kids who came with their parents.

“Kansas bingo quizzes kids on general Kansas trivia,” Gdanski said.

Darla Mallein, president of William Allen White Community Partnership Inc. and associate professor of social sciences, said the Red Rocks house will undergo a reopening in May.

“The Red Rocks house is closed for the winter for the most part, but we will be holding a few Sunday events in the house in February,” Mallein said.

Karen Manners Smith, professor of history, will discuss the history of the White family in the years leading up to World War II Feb. 10. Beverley Buller, William Allen White biographer and long-time librarian and educator, will talk about the adoption of William Lindsay White’s and Katherine White’s daughter Feb. 17. Roger Heineken, administrative officer for the Memorial Union, will tell the history of Emporia during the “William Allen White years” through photographs Feb. 24. All events will begin at 2 p.m.

“It’ll be a similar format to Sundays on the Porch, but they’ll be held inside the house,” said Jennifer Baldwin, site administrator for William Allen White Community Partnership Inc. and U.S. history graduate student at ESU.

Baldwin oversees and plans events and tours at Red Rocks.

“We are always looking for interns,” Baldwin said. “We encourage more ESU students to visit Red Rocks house.”