February 2026 Volunteer Focus on TeamMates and Community

February 2026 McCook Volunteer of the Month - Sara Rippen

February 2026 Volunteer of the Month Passionate about TeamMates and Community

Most days, Sara Rippen can be found at her day job at Garrison's and McCook Lettering, perhaps measuring for tuxedos or helping with personalized shirts.

But Sara is also active in the community, giving of her time, energy and passion to serve others.

Because of these efforts and more, Sara has been named the February 2026 McCook Volunteer of the Month.

McCook TeamMates coordinator Marissa Hoines said in her nomination that Sara has been a dedicated volunteer with the TeamMates Mentoring Program for more than 15 years.

“Sara is consistently serving as a mentor and meeting with her mentee each week to provide encouragement and support,” Hoines said. “Her commitment to showing up year after year demonstrates her passion for making a lasting difference in the lives of students.”

In addition to her mentoring, Sara took on a leadership role, serving as a past board president, helping guide the vision and growth of the program.

“Through both her one-on-one mentoring and her leadership contributions, Sara has played an important role in strengthening TeamMates and positively impacting her community,” Hoines said.

Sara is also currently serving as president of the McCook Cordials and volunteers regularly for the McCook Chamber of Commerce, just one of the many reasons Sara was chosen as the February 2026 McCook Volunteer of the Month.

The McCook Philanthropy Council selects the monthly recipient for the McCook Volunteer of the Month award as part of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s “McCook Volunteers” program.

If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308.340.3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the MCFF 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. Please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community.

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By Ronda Graff • January 22, 2026

To kick off the new year, Jo Beebe has been selected as the January 2026 McCook Volunteer of the month. While many people might know Jo for her years at the Sports Shoppe, she can be found giving hours of her time to the community, especially at St. Patrick Church. Whether during the weekly Mass or for a funeral or wedding, Jo shares her beautiful voice from the choir loft, as well as leading the choir members. Jo, along with her husband Harold, also has served as the St. Pat’s GALA host couple in the past and continues to help with set-up and cleanup of the annual event. Jo is also active with the Fall Festival, the Rosary Rally and the Wild Game Feed in Curtis every year. She attends every the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults class and helps students prepare for confirmation. And since retiring from the Sports Shoppe, she is active in the Altar Society, and volunteers at the Bargain Bazaar thrift store. According to her nomination, “The way Jo gives of her time and talents to our parish and community is a reflection of her faith,” and the community and the church are better because of her generosity. The McCook Philanthropy Council selects the monthly recipient for the McCook Volunteer of the Month award as part of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s McCook Volunteer program. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308.340.3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the MCFF 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. Please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community.