Large crowd turns out for the Bernie Sanders campaign in Wichita

Wichitans for Bernie Sanders for president met Saturday to gear up for future events and the Caucus next March. More than 80 people attended the event and many were interested in such campaign work as phone banking.

The meeting started off with some speakers.

"We got to change," said Joan Gedraitis, of Wichitans for Bernie Sanders. We've got to change big. The only person trying to change things is Bernie."

"I had a friend in high school who was never into politics, said Andrew Figueiredo, of Kansas  Young Democrats. "Now he is involved in the Bernie Sanders Campaign in Lawrence."

"There is the "s" Word," said Jim Phillips, a long time activist in Democratic Socialist of America (DSA). "That word is socialism. I've been in the democratic socialist movement all my life."

Phillips was a part of an active DSA party in the 1980s. He explained to the audience that socialism isn't "everything owned by the government."

"It's about workers democracy," he added. "This is about Workers cooperatives. It's about fair taxation."

He also said that Bernie is involved in a coalition building effort of labor groups, civil rights, women's rights and other progressive groups.

Besides phone banking and canvassing, participants were encouraged to help with tables at Democrat Party events.

That includes DemoFest coming up August 21 and 22, at the Marriott Hotel, starting at 5pm Friday. Plans are to have a Bernie table. They also want to take part at the  Democrat Party's Table at the Kansas State Fair in September. There will be a presents at the Black Arts festival Sept., 4,5,6 at McAdamsPark, in Wichita and a Labor Day event at the Machinist Hall, the Saturday before.

The group discussed was the need to get voters registered as Democrats so they can attend the Democrats Caucus, March 5, 2016.