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Financial boost
Bolstered by a $100,000 donation from Fort Scott philanthropists Danny and Willa Ellis, Youth Activities Team members are now ready to move forward with completing the development of Ellis Park in Fort Scott, Kan.
The Ellises purchased the 15-acre park 40 years ago and donated it to the city for recreation purposes about 30 years ago. The couple owned Midwestern Trucking and had bought the acreage for trailer houses because they were bringing truckers into Fort Scott. Later, they made a deal with the city to save the land as a park.
Since 2007, the Youth Activities Team has been raising funds to develop the rest of the park, which now features two baseball fields and a full soccer pitch. To this end, YAT has brought in country music stars Jason Aldean and Luke Byrant and held other fundraisers to help make the park's completion a reality.
But until the Ellises' recent contribution, YAT could not move ahead.
"It's very good to see it come along," Danny Ellis said. "We try to help financially... Fundraising is a slow process. They hadn't had anyone step up financially until recently."
Ellis Park is at 12th and Shepherd streets in east central part of town near Fort Scott Middle School.
Through the years, the Ellises have done much for the city of Fort Scott, contributing funds to build the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College and offering student scholarships through the Ellis Foundation.
A lot of the work at Ellis Park so far has involved installing utilities, so visitors can't see much going on -- yet.
With the added funds from the Ellises, YAT Co-Convenor Clayton Tatro said site work can start this summer.
YAT wants to add sand volleyball, basketball courts and gazebos so people can "kick back or take a break during evening games," said Diana Mitchell, YAT co-convenor.
"We've got to get lights up there. That's another big thing. It's just kind of one step at a time," Mitchell said.
Excavation bids from three firms were opened March 14 and those will be considered by the Fort Scott City Commission at a future meeting. Tatro, FSCC president, said YAT has $72,000 in the bank and the $100,000 has been added to that. "We haven't spent a whole lot of money," he said, "but we have spent some in terms of dirtwork, excavation and land clearing."
The Pittsburg engineering firm PEC has helped YAT write its bids and make sure nothing was overlooked, Mitchell said. Local contractor Ron Rodgers also did some excavation work previously, only charging for his fuel, she added.
Tatro said Ellis Park was first chosen as a recreational hub five years ago. "... My understanding ... was that they did a survey of middle, high school and college youth asking them what activities and/or facilities they would like to see in Fort Scott, outside of a shopping mall.
"The answers were basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, batting cages and mini-golf. Ellis Park was seen as a single place where a lot of those activities from that survey could be held. That's really why we got started with Ellis Park," he said.
Now the group has the springboard it needs and lots of work ahead.
"We have basically several different things that need to happen. The first thing is site grading," Tatro said.
Up next is gravel surfacing, then utilities and concrete for sidewalks and basketball courts. "With the money we have in the bank and this donation," he said, "we will be close to doing all of that."
YAT is part of the Fort Scott visioning process, started with Public Square Communities LLC. The group is a subcommittee of city government, so the city commission will "obviously have to be involved," Tatro said.
"We haven't gone to the city commission yet because we haven't had enough money. Basically we're looking at close to $200,000 to do the four pieces we talked about. If you take this donation, which is... amazingly wonderful and exceptionally gracious," YAT is on track to make a fully developed Ellis Park come to fruition, Tatro said.
Both Tatro and Mitchell are beyond gratified about that.
"The YAT team has never wavered in its commitment on the park and we've been continually focused on the park itself," Tatro said.
"It's a huge blessing," Tatro said of the Ellises' donation. "It's amazingly exciting. We know we've got a lot of work to do yet on the park, but this is a great start.
"The timing is perfect when you've got the skatepark, the new pool, the expanded Buck Run (Community Center) and all the work that's being done on the golf course; the opportunities down the road for a bowling alley and a fun center."
Mitchell was also tickled at the Ellises contribution, saying she was more excited now than when Fort Scott earned a Guinness World Record in July 2008 for laying down a mile of pennies in two hours, 23 minutes and one second.
"It's just an awesome thing," Mitchell said. "He and Willa, they're such cool people. I'm just so fortunate be friends with them."