Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative (HREC) has presented a $5,000 Concern for Community grant to the Bourbon County Fair Association to fund safety and accessibility upgrades across the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.
The grant will pay for a new speaker system across four barns, the show arena and stands, and the pavilion, along with replacement lighting in the show arena and pavilion, four new bike racks to reduce tripping hazards in high-traffic areas, and electrician services for the installation. The Fair Association will complete all non-electrical work.
“This project touches nearly every corner of the fairgrounds — better sound, better lighting, safer walkways,” said Doug Graham, Communication Specialist at HREC. “It’s a great example of a fair board making practical improvements that benefit everyone who comes through the gate.”
Concern for Community is funded through capital credit retirements intended for former members that the cooperative was unable to reach. Rather than letting these funds sit unused, Heartland developed the Concern for Community grant program to return these dollars to the community.
Concern for Community grants are exclusively for capital projects such as construction, renovation, or durable equipment purchases. Due to overwhelming interest in the program, the HREC board decided to limit this year’s applications to area fair boards and 4-H groups.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative headquartered in Girard, Kansas, providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to 8,500 member-owners across 12 counties in southeast Kansas. As a cooperative, HREC is governed by a board of directors elected by and from its membership, and reinvests in the communities it serves through programs such as Concern for Community, Operation Round Up, and Future Foundations. In addition to electric service, HREC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Heartland Propane, serves propane customers throughout the region.
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