It is a phrase often repeated, “Plant a tree knowing that you may never sit under it.” The saying may be centuries old from Greek philosophers or from the 1950s by an American novelist but regardless the concept has existed throughout the evolution of man: He who plants the trees serves another age. 

During the ribbon cutting for the new PFC Gerald L. Walters Sports Complex in McCook this week, the idea of thinking and building for the future was easily recognizable. Young people in baseball uniforms waited eagerly but patiently for the adults to get the pomp and circumstance done with so they could get onto the fields. 

These sports fields are being built not just for today but for generations to come. It is an investment in our young people today and years down the road. 

I will likely never play a game on those fields. I don’t know if any of my children will throw a ball during a softball game at the complex. And who knows if I will ever have grandchildren who may kick a soccer ball on the new soccer fields.

But even though I may not benefit directly from the sports complex, I realize that I still benefit from moving the community forward. Young families may choose to move to McCook because they know their children have the opportunities to participate on a sports team with quality facilities. In turn, that young family may include a doctor that I may need to see at the hospital. And even better is if I can see that doctor in my hometown rather than having to drive hours for an appointment. 

This idea is actually rooted in reality. 

Community Hospital, which has been in the lead or supported most of the major projects in McCook over the past decade, recognizes the importance of this concept, especially when trying to hire specialized, highly-trained physicians. With three new general practice doctors and two new surgeons set to start in McCook, CEO Troy Bruntz has said several times in the past weeks that it is highly unlikely that the hospital would have been able to get the doctors to move to McCook without the changes over the past three years. 

While creating jobs is necessary for our community to grow, addressing the quality of life is almost if not more important. People can get jobs just about anywhere these days - or even take their jobs with them. Which means “place” is even more vital to attracting and keeping people in a community. 

Consider the investments that have been made in the McCook this decade. The finish line is in sight for the $17 million renovation and expansion at the McCook YMCA. Thanks to the approval by voters of the ½ cent sales tax, the McCook Aquatic Center just wrapped up its third season and the Walters Sports Complex is now a reality. Kelley Park has a new inclusive playground and Barnett Park has new playground equipment plus a second disc golf course. And Community Hospital took the lead on an entirely new complex, the downtown ROOTS building to immerse medical students in the community.

Major improvements and investments like we are seeing right now do seem to ebb and flow over the history of a community. 

Most buildings in downtown McCook were built in the 1920s and continue to serve the community with retail and residential opportunities. The 1970s and ‘80s saw the hospital move from St. Catherine’s to its current campus on the eastern edge of McCook, the YMCA built at its current location near the high school and Heritage Hills Golf Course was developed on the west edge of town.

Some people may say that we are fine as a retirement community and don’t need all these extra amenities, but even retirement communities need young people as workers. Those young people deserve amenities such as pools, playgrounds and parks just as much as anyone. These young families need quality schools - which is another column on its own. 

Whether it is a turf field to throw a baseball or walking trails to safely ride a bike or planting a tree to sit in its shade, we need to invest in our future knowing that we may not benefit from it - but someone will.