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.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
August 2025 Volunteer of the Month Bruce McDowell can be found walking around McCook for his health, to be helpful or maybe even attend a meeting.
It takes work and effort to be social but its vital to our community.
McCook's young people are shaping their hometown through a various projects.
MCFF Summer Hometown Intern Natalie Roberts shares how her perspective on McCook changed over the past few months.
With the McCook Aquatic Center closing soon for the season, another tradition - Mr. Bill and his 25-cent snow-cones - will likely be coming to an end soon too.
McCook among five Nebraska communities in Revitalize and Thrive Program
Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
Judy McCune named July 2025 McCook volunteer of the month
Joyce Anderson named June 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
