Most people have likely seen Bruce McDowell around McCook. When time and his health allows, he puts in countless miles around the community. It may be walking his rescue dog. It may be heading to the McCook Dog Park to check-in on cleanup. It may be just to get his miles in for the day. 

And those miles come when he isn’t at a meeting for one of the many organizations he volunteers his time for. 

Bruce currently serves as the chairman of the Community Hospital Health Foundation vice president of the Norris Institute and treasurer for the K9 Korner, McCook’s dog park in Barnett Park. And he’s a member of the McCook Humane Society, although he doesn’t recall if he has an official title anymore. 

After serving as a McCook City Councilman, he is now a member of the McCook Planning Commission. In his “spare time,” Bruce helps with the Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival every June and has watered the plants along Norris Avenue as part of Beautify McCook. 

He is also a strong advocate for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), volunteering as a photographer for state-wide Nebraska CASA events. Locally, he assists with anything the Prairie Plains CASA office in McCook needs for their events such as smoking meat and food prep plus just general maintenance for the CASA office. 

The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. 

If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form.

The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.