Heading into 2020 Big Give McCook, Community Chest organizers had no idea what the final results would be. With the pandemic, the economy and the current political climate, the volunteer committee was hoping to just break even with last year’s total of $145,000.
But in the end, everyone pulled together to make 2020 Big Give McCook a bigger success than ever.
At the end of 24 hours of giving, more than $160,000 was raised. This includes online donations, in-person giving stations funds and $9,000 in “power hour” matching funds, a total which already pushes past the final number from last year.
But when another $37,000 in additional sponsorship funds are added in the next few days as matching funds for all 29 non-profit organizations, the total will surpass the $200,000 mark for the first time in the five year history of Big Give McCook.
It was a complete community effort to help break those records, from donors to sponsors to organizers.
Big Give McCook is organized by Community Chest, which also distributes funds throughout the year to 13 local organizations.
Community Chest co-chairperson Lisa Felker was simply overwhelmed by the continuous donations throughout the day, as well as all the financial support leading up to McCook’s largest single-day philanthropy event..
“The generosity of McCook and Southwest Nebraska was above and beyond what we were expecting,” Felker said. “Our community really stepped up when there is a bigger need than ever for many of these organizations.”
Also important to Big Give’s success is the support of those who don’t live in McCook but still value their hometown and want to ensure its success, with donations coming from across the state and across the country.
“Thank you to everyone who supported Big Give McCook, whether coming out to make a donation on Thursday, sponsoring the event, designating a retirement account payment or creating a payroll deduction,” Felker said. “We have proven that we can make McCook and Southwest Nebraska a great place to call home.”
What truly makes Big Give McCook so successful are the bonus funds from generous local sponsors, including Graff Charitable Foundation, MNB Bank, Valmont, Great Western Bank, Community Hospital, MNB Financial Services, Horizon Bank, First Central Bank, Janssen-Kool Motors, MNB Insurance, Pinnacle Bank, U-Save Pharmacy & Medical Supply, Lifetime Eye Care, Ace Hardware, Casey’s, Frontier Home Medical, Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Café, The Sports Shoppe, Hometown Family Radio, High Plains Radio, and McCook Gazette.
Community Chest created Big Give McCook five years ago as a way to pool funds for not only the Community Chest agencies but has over the years added more and more non-profits from Southwest Nebraska, who are filling crucial roles in the community and creating great projects to improve the area.
The day wouldn’t be possible without the locations which served as in-person giving stations, including Pinnacle Bank, Horizon Bank, Great Weatern Bank, First Central Bank, MNB Bank, Hillcrest Nursing Home and the YMCA.
New this year were two drive-through locations at Hillcrest Nursing Home and McCook Christian Church because of the pandemic but with plans to keep in place next year.
And finally, Big Give McCook simply wouldn’t be possible without all the individual donors. More than 878 donations were made this year, up from 700 last year.
Individuals, businesses and organizations stepped up to support Big Give McCook with donations ranging from a $5 bill to five-digit checks. All of those combined with local sponsorship funds made 2020 Big Give one for the record books.
“We are so appreciative of the support from the community,” Felker said. “When it’s all said and done, both the total number of donors as well as the total donations will make 2020 the biggest year ever.”
2020 Big Give McCook was a test for Community Chest organizers with masks and hand-sanitizers available at every giving station, but they are already making plans for the 2021 Big Give and hope the community is ready for another great event.
Community Chest is a sub-account of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, which is an affiliate of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
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Many organizations and businesses in McCook offer the opportunity to recycle, reuse and repair items that may just end up in the trash.
Organizer for Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and former librarian named Oct 2025 volunteer of the month.
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Long-time community advocate Barb Ostrum received the Sept 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month award.
We need to celebrate our young people while they are here and encourage them to return.
While some like myself appreciate a rainy day, others dread them for a variety of reasons. We need to be empathetic as interact with others.
MCFF Fall Grant Deadline is Oct. 1. Complete list of former recipients on MCFF website
With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
