What a difference 20 years makes.
For years, Floyd Hershberger had watched other communities grow and thrive because of a local charitable foundation and knew McCook would benefit from having something similar in place. So in 2001, the McCook Community Foundation was created - with a zero balance.
Now two decades later, the McCook Community Foundation Fund has passed a milestone of more than $6 million in assets.
How did this happen?
As MCFF was being formed, the community had a progressive group of leaders who thought differently. They saw a need and searched for an idea to fill it. They knew collaboration was key and came together to make it work. They believed in the generosity of others and believed in abundance rather than scarcity.
Ultimately, they felt a responsibility to make their community better - not only for themselves, but for others.
And obviously others have felt the same way. This growth has happened because people believe in McCook and see the value in investing in McCook and that happens in a variety of different ways.
It is the Big Give McCook, where hundreds of donations are made in one day to organizations which are invaluable to day-to-day living in McCook. It is a planned gift, where McCook is thought of as an additional child in an estate when a person passes away. It is an unexpected donation from an alumni, who may not live in McCook but values the childhood they received and want to make sure today’s children have it just as good. It is someone who may not even be alive to benefit from their generosity but realizes the impact they can have for generations to come.
Although MCFF has reached a milestone, this doesn’t mean MCFF has millions of dollars to give away. It means that millions have been invested and for the most part, the dollars will remain invested forever.
But the returns on those investments are what will make McCook an even better place to call home for generations and those investments are returned in a variety of ways.
Every year, MCFF oversees two scholarships - the Haag Scholarship and Fassler-Nuemann Scholarship - because supporting our young people is a priority for MCFF. The scholarships just happened to have March 31 deadlines.
Several organizations in our community receive annual dividend checks because donors have selected them as needed and necessary for a better community.
But the biggest impact likely comes in the form of grants which are distributed twice a year and have grown tremendously over the past 20 years.
In 2003, MCFF made its first grant - $750 to McCook Public Schools toward playground equipment at the then-new elementary school. Whereas this year, MCFF has the potential to distribute more than $100,000 toward programs, ideas and projects which benefit everyone, from those growing up to those growing old. And the spring grant application deadline just happens to be next week, April 1.
Now this is where we really need people to think different.
Think long-term
Yes, the day to day issues need to be dealt with, but we need to be thinking how our decisions today will affect our children and their children. How can we make an impact for years to come? How do we secure the future of our community without thinking ahead and coming up with a plan?
Think big
Small projects are necessary but we need to dream and think big sometimes. If someone hadn’t dreamed big, would Heritage Hills exist? Would the Kiplinger complex have happened? Would MCFF have been created?
Think working together.
We need to break down our silos and figure out how to work together. How does one project affect another? Would one idea benefit more than one organization? Would a collaboration mean more funding and more resources?
Thinking how I can give back
We live in a pretty great part of the world, in a great part of the country, in a great part of the state. We are blessed with a wide-open sky and wide-open land. We have beautiful scenery and abundant resources.
There are many reasons to be grateful and just as many ways to give back. Maybe it is getting involved in a service organization. Maybe it is running for a political office. Maybe it is making a financial donation to benefit others.
Each and every one of us can make a difference. Each and every one of us has a voice that needs to be heard. Each and every one of us can make McCook an even better place to call home.
Twenty years later, Floyd would be proud to know we are thinking just a little bit differently.
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” 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.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
Food pantries are seeing an increased need, which means the community must step up with donations of food and time to help those who struggle to put food on the table.
