To say next week is important is an understatement. The 2020 elections are finally here, thank goodness. And as if that wasn’t enough, Big Give McCook is next Thursday, Nov. 5.
Add on top of that the fact we’ll have just wrapped up Halloween, still adjusting to the time change and wondering about the never ending threat of quarantine from Covid.
And by the way, it’s a full moon this weekend.
While we don’t have a say about most of those issues (O.K. we don’t have to gorge ourselves on Snickers), we can have impact by voting and by donating.
Let’s start with the election. It has been a contentious year to say the least. With so much focus on the national election, the local races have gotten lost in the shuffle, which is unfortunate because they have just as much if not more of an impact on our daily lives.
Here’s a test: While everyone knows who is running for president, can you name the three McCook school board candidates? Hint, they are all incumbents. Can you name the three people running for the two open seats on the McCook City Council? How about the two Red Willow County Commissions vying for the one spot?
These elected officials control millions of tax dollars and decide policies, which will have an impact on us for years and years to come. Local elections should have equal if not more precedence than national politics. Local civic knowledge actually has an impact on a community.
Thanks to a recommendation by Andy Long, I have been reading “Our Towns - A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America” by James and Deborah Fallows over the past year. The couple travels across the country over the course of several years visiting several dozen towns to learn what makes them thrive - or struggle - including Atwood, Kan.
At the end, they use anecdotal evidence to derive a list of 10 things that make a community a success.
I won’t go into all of them but the first item is relevant now more than ever: “People work together on practical local possibilities, rather than allowing bitter disagreements about national politis to keep them apart.”
Yes, we need the national government, but ultimately, it is local resilience which makes a community successful.
So while most of the focus may be on the national election, we should have greater awareness about our local elections. If you haven’t voted yet, research all the candidates to learn what they want to do to make our community better.
Or better yet, we are a small community, so reach out to the candidates. And ask them their thoughts on taxes, on improvements, on collaboration, on how they intend to make an impact during their time in office. Even if the seat is uncontested, have the candidate explain why they are the best person for the job.
Making an informed, educated vote about all the candidates is one way to make an impact.
But another way to make an impact next week is by making a donation.
The fifth annual Big Give McCook takes place on Thursday, Nov. 5 from midnight to midnight. This is your opportunity to show your support for these organizations with your donation.
The organizations involved in Big Give McCook are truly necessary if you want to have local resiliency. They provide the safety net for those down on their luck. They are behind the projects which make this a great place to live. They help make our day-to-days better as well as improve our community for generations to come.
For some of these organizations, these donations are used for operational expenses. Your dollars literally help keep their doors open and the shelves stocked.
For others, your donation is what will make the difference on whether a project happens. Your dollars will help determine if our community will be better five years from now or if it’s just status quo.
As I’ve said for the past five years, every dollar matters. When the Community Chest committee was setting up this program five years ago, the original name was “Give Big McCook,’ but “giving big” was not what was the most important or what makes it a success.
Big Give McCook is successful because people are working together to make our community better. Big Give McCook is successful because people are making a difference on the local level. Big Give McCook is successful because we are stronger together rather than apart.
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.
