Fort Scott Skatepark receives grant

Because of a local wellness committee, the Fort Scott Skatepark is $4,000 closer to becoming a reality.

Fort Scott Skatepark Committee Co-convener Nate Lyons said he was informed Thursday morning that the committee was the recipient of a $4,000 grant which was applied for in partnership with the Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County Committee.

"It was really cool, I was excited to see that this morning," Lyons said.

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas 2010 NPA (Nutrition and Physical Activity) Grant is a grant program which is geared toward providing funding for organizations which encourage people to get outside and live a healthier and more active lifestyle. Lyons said Janet Braun and Jody Brillhart, members of the Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County Committee, approached him and said that they thought the skatepark would be a good fit for the grant.

"They told me about this grant opportunity and that there might be some money available from this grant," Lyons said. "They thought it would be a good fit for this grant because its something new. This is exactly what the community needs, is more opportunity for kids to be outside and be active ... we're just encouraging an already good behavior."

Lyons said that it is because of the support of the Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County Committee and other committees in the community that the skatepark is making progress.

"We're super psyched about it," he said. "Having the support of these other organizations is really the key to our success ... their support is invaluable."

Lyons said that with the addition of the grant money, the Fort Scott Skatepark Committee has raised about $35,000 of their $100,000 goal. He said that he has been approaching local companies about the possibility of donations or discounts and that the response has been excellent.

"Anything that we can get as far as materials at a discounted price or any in-kind donations ... we'll get more park for the money," he said.

The conceptual design has been completed for the skatepark, and Lyons said that the committee is waiting to hear back from the construction company on a final price. He said that the plan is to utilize phases to construct the park and that he would like to get started as soon as possible.

"I'd like to get started on phase one as soon as possible, that way we can get something on the ground for the kids to skate on," he said.

The Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County Committee received a total grant of more than $16,000. After the $4,000 is presented to the Fort Scott Skatepark Committee, the rest will be used for other projects in the communities within Bourbon County.

The Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County Committee was formed as a result of a $300,000, 3-year grant from the Kansas Health Foundation to the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas to improve nutrition and physical activity awareness in the Southeast Kansas area.