In 2004, two best friends had the idea to bring back the once popular Policeman's Ball to Louisville, Kentucky. However, since one of the friends was a firefighter and one was a police officer, they had to compromise. So they came up with the Kentuckiana Police and Firefighter’s Summer Bash Benefit, welcoming Law Enforcement Personnel, Firefighters, EMS Personnel, Military Personnel, and anyone associated with Public Safety. They also wanted to invite the general public, in hopes of forging new relationships in the community and having an impact on charitable endeavors.

Those two friends are Captain Matthew Keith, of the Jeffersontown Fire Department and Lieutenant Kelly Jones, of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Matt is a 13 year veteran with J-Town and Kelly is in his 21st year with Metro.

The first year, in addition to the musical entertainment provided by the band "Caribou", Kelly and Matt decided they needed a celebrity to greet the attendees. They called upon former LAPD officer and Leave it To Beaver star Ken "Eddie Haskell" Osmond. The two hoped to draw 200 people. They had 213 folks attend that first year.

Last year, the event was held at the Galt House Hotel, Louisville's only waterfront hotel, and a crowd of 643 attendees and over 20 National celebrities came together for charity. Ken Osmond has stuck with the event and will be here this year for his 5th straight year. Last year's event was a huge success and has become a hot ticket event in the City of Louisville. This year’s event takes place on June 21st and the musical guests will be the world famous "Monarchs".

Matt and Kelly could not have produced this event without the help and dedication of two very good friends, Dennis Hardin and Mark Lynch. These two men have given countless hours of their time to make the event a success.  In addition to those two, they have had the support of family, friends, wonderful sponsors, and the celebrities who appear free of charge. Kelly particularly thanks his wife Carrie for her patience and understanding.