Fort Scott Community College President’s Ambassadors have come up with a fun way to fundraise, and add an entertainment venue to the community.

“Last fall, Matt Glades, Jennalee Martin and I went to an escape room in Joplin,” Kassie Fugate-Cate said. All three are staff/faculty at the college.

“An escape room is an interactive game/puzzle where groups of people are locked in a room and have to solve puzzles and find clues to escape, all within 60 minutes,” according to  Newsweek Magazine.

Following the Joplin excursion, Glades proposed an idea to the Ambassadors of designing and implementing an escape room for fundraising, Fugate- Cate said. They agreed.

“He got them a room, they did the rest,” Fugate-Cate said.

“We began planning in August,” Haley O’Neal, an FSCC Ambassador said. “We just now got to the point to financially support it.”

The cost isn’t much, but a camera had to be installed in the room.

“We had to install a camera, which was $500,” O’Neal said. “Legally we had to be able to watch so there is no property damage (to the school).

“We did research on designing a room, (and) one of our Ambassadors had been through a lot of escape rooms,” O’Neal said.

The theme the group chose for their room is “Secret Agency.”

The lights are turned off the duration of the time in the escape room.

“Initially, someone must find the flashlight,” O’Neal said.

Waivers must be signed and fees paid 24 hours prior to the assigned time.

Prices are $5 for students and faculty/staff, $10 for community members. A team is comprised of up to five people.

The escape event is available Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 6 to 8 p..m or by appointment.

Contact the admissions office at 620.223.2700 ext. 3520 or email [email protected] for more information.

Participants must be at the escape room 15 minutes prior to their assigned time. If a time has been scheduled, no refund will be provided.

Several groups have spent time in the “Secret Agency” room for trial runs, Fugate-Cate said.

“The best time they have now is 30 minutes,” Fugate- Cate said.

The storyline will be changed periodically, Fugate- Cate said, to keep it interesting.

“I love that we are trying something new,” O’Neal said. “The Ambassadors are creating a fundraiser to do a fun day together later.”

O’Neal said the group has a plan to  Main Event Entertainment in Kansas City on April 14.

DeAnn Welch started the Adopt-A-Greyhound program eight years ago at Fort Scott Coummunity College because of a need she perceived.

In her job as FSCC  Student Success Center Director and Tutoring and Testing Administrator  see saw students coming to college from other distant states.

“They come here not knowing anyone,” Welch said. ” Some even come here on a one way bus ticket in hopes of playing football and getting away from a life that they could have ended up dead.  It is a sad situation.”

She had an idea.

“I thought, why not place these kids with local families who can give them that home away from home,” she said.

“The families can have this student over for dinner, go to their games if they are athletes, and simply be a support system.”

The program has had many success stories, she said.

“Some families still keep in touch with their student and even travel to see their games when they advance to the next level.  It truly has developed many lifelong friendships,” Welch said.

For more information, contact Welch at 620-223-2700, ext. 4300 or [email protected]