Bright Futures Joplin establishes scholarships honoring fallen officers

JOPLIN, Mo. – Bright Futures Joplin has established scholarships honoring two Joplin police officers killed in the line of duty earlier this year.

The Officer Jake Reed Memorial Scholarship and the Corporal Ben Cooper Memorial Scholarship will benefit two Joplin High School graduates majoring in Criminal Justice at Missouri Southern State University in the 2023-2024 academic year.

A check presentation ceremony is planned for 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday, Aug. 10 in the lobby of MSSU’s Mills Anderson Justice Center.

To fund the scholarships, Bright Futures Joplin pledged to donate half the proceeds from the nonprofit group’s annual benefit basketball game, Guns & Hoses. The April game featured the Joplin Police Department vs. the Joplin Fire Department. Bright Futures Joplin will be presenting checks in the amount of $3,585 to each scholarship fund.

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