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.
McCook's last hometown bakery closed this past week, leaving a void not just for donuts but for connections.
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.
McCook's Third Thursdays were created to get businesses and organizations involved and designed to create life-long memories for the community.
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.
