Local businessman, Josh Jones, has started a non-profit foundation that will provide funding for projects in the community.

“This community has meant a lot to me and my family and we wanted to find a way to give back,” Jones said. “We felt like this was a good way to make a long term impact.”

“The purpose of Advance Bourbon County is to find ways to make our community better through charitable contributions and work,” Jones said.

“I have asked Bailey Lyons and Katie Hueston to come on board and help me with this adventure, as they have been just amazing and have put so much time, effort, and passion into the splash pad and sensory park project,” he said.

The splash pad and sensory park will be put in place in 2023, following the fundraising efforts of Jones, Lyons and Hueston and others.

“My goal is a core of us handle the majority of day to day things and we work with other groups/people on different projects as a team, as the need arises,” he said. “We really want this to be a grass roots foundation that involves all.”

In the past few months, this group has bought a comedy show and an illusionist to town to help fund the splash pad/sensory park that will be located in the downtown area of Fort Scott.

They have many events they are collaborating with others in town to make happen for 2023.

The following are those projects:

On April 1, the group is helping to organize the Blue Collar Awards, that will be honoring the manual workers in the community.

“We are working together with Aaron Judy on this,” Jones said.

On April 15, they are organizing the Greg Morton Comedy Show for the community, comedian Andrew Rose will be opening for Morton.

On June 9, they are working together with Cory Bryars and Brad Matkin to make a Live Band Karaoke happen.

On July 1, in collaboration with Bill Michaud, they are bringing the  Game Show Road Show to the community.

On August 26,  another comedian, Todd Royce, will be coming to town.

On November 18  in collaboration with Cory Bryars and Brad Matkin the Almost Kiss Tribute Band will be in town.

On December 1-2 there will be Christmas on the Bricks
There are working with another group,  Elevate Fort Scott, which includes Diane Striler, Kirk Sharp, Cory Bryars, Lindsey Madison, and Brad Matkin.

• Fundraising to help purchase AED units for the Fort Scott Fire Department.

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a medical device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, to restore the heart rhythm to normal, according to https://www.osha.gov/aed

• Fund raising that will go towards updating Memorial Hall.
•  Rehabbing and refurbishing the caboose at Fisher Park and possibly moving it to a focal point at the entrance of Fort Scott.
•  Continuing to bring in more events for the community to enjoy, according to the ABC Facebook page.

For those interested in donating:

“They can follow and message us on Facebook at Advance Bourbon County 501C3,” he said.  “They can bring donations by Bourbon County Cars (where Jones is the general sales manager), send donations through Venmo, or take donations to Citizens Bank in Fort Scott and deposit into our charity account”