KAYLA DRAKE | Multimedia Producer

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A maze of cardboard boxes littered the Boys and Girls Club gym’s floor Friday night.

About 75 Nerf gun-sporting kids, mostly under 10 years old, dodged in and out of makeshift forts, plastic bullets flying in every direction.

The Nerf Alliance Club at Lindenwood University hosted their 2nd annual Nerf gun war with the nonprofit.

“When you think Nerf,  you think kids,” Kayla Hamilton, the club’s public relation officer, said. “I mean we’re basically grown up kids running around playing.”

The event is Hamilton’s brainchild. It came about when the club realized they needed to get community service hours under student government’s requirements.

“Who doesn’t love shooting around Nerf guns?” Hamilton said.

Eight volunteers from the club ran games like capture the flag throughout the night.

Recently, the Boys and Girls Club has had an influx of Lindenwood students volunteering, Caitlin Herrmann, the program director said.

Last week the field hockey team came in and taught kids floor hockey, and during football season, players would come in to volunteer.

Herrmann is a 2017 Lindenwood graduate herself and volunteered at the club throughout her collegiate career. She said having college kids volunteer at the club is good for the kids because members can ask the volunteers and staff questions.

“Also to see how many of our staff are going to college or have gone to college, who have put that hard work in,” Herrmann said.

Overall, Herrmann said the night was a success because the kids from elementary to high school ages were able to let loose.

“We say no guns, guns are bad, but when they can come into the club and play in a safe way, under supervision.”