During the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday, employees with the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes announced that since the opening of their new building in just recent weeks, they have already welcomed more than 1,000 visitors to the new facility, including international visitors.

“The outreach is amazing,” Director of Marketing Dani Gardullo said of the far-reaching impact of the center, which in recent weeks has had visitors from Australia and other overseas places.

More than 1.2 million students from around the world have participated in the vision of the center and its founder to research and recognize people who have had a positive impact on the world and had not been honored for it.

“These are the role models that we want to instill in the lives of younger generations,” Gardullo said.

Gardullo explained that they will continue using the former building for students working on projects and for other needs, but the exhibits featuring unsung heroes are on display in the new structure with additional, interactive features for visitors to take part in. An in-depth tour of the entire building and all its exhibits could take as long as a few hours, though shorter tours are also available. The center is also now open on Saturdays as well.

“There’s just so much to see and take in here,” Gardullo said.

The center also provides a conference room that fits 32 people and is available for local organizations, business or other groups needing a place to meet. The center continues to sell memorial bricks for $100 each to be placed in the Unsung Heroes Park that will be located on the south side of the new building.

City Manager Dave Martin said it was a pleasure working with Lowell Milken on the new center and he is grateful Milken decided to keep the center in Fort Scott despite others encouraging him to move it to a larger city. Martin said the city needs to continue to support the center, recognizing how important it is to the city.

“We are so appreciative of all the support that we’ve received from this community,” Gardullo said. “Fort Scott is wonderful.”