Taking Nothing for Granted

Last week, Big Give McCook reached record highs again, both in the number of donations as well as the overall totals. While the numbers are still being finalized for each nonprofit organization, it is still easy to call the event a success.

That is due to all the people who gave of their time staffing the in-person giving stations, who helped spread the word about this important event and who made a donation during the 24 hours of giving. It was due to the businesses which provided the sponsorship money for the power hours and matching funds for the 31 nonprofits.

And it was due to the volunteers on the Community Chest committee, which oversees the Big Give. While Big Give is technically just one day, it actually involves 364 days of additional planning, especially on the part of Lisa Felker and Melissa Stritt at MNB Bank.

The Community Chest volunteers know how important Big Give is to the community and to the 31 nonprofits which benefit directly from the 24-hour event. That is why they give of their time to make it a success every year. They do not take it for granted that Big Give will happen without a lot of hard work on their part.

It is a great example of getting involved to make sure it continues year after year.

The same holds true for many of the organizations in our community. A lot of hard work takes place in order for these organizations to exist. We cannot take them for granted. We can all play a role to make sure these organizations continue, to grow and to thrive.

It would be easy to just make the donation on the Big Give and say we’ve done our part. But that cannot be the end. We cannot just assume they will be here tomorrow without our support. We cannot just think of them once a year and ignore them the other 364 days. We cannot take these organizations for granted because there is always the possibility they will go away.

For example, I had a friend say how much they appreciate the YMCA in our community because of the pool and the youth sports and just the facility in general. I asked if she was a member or had made a donation recently. She sheepishly admitted that she wasn’t a member and hadn’t donated but should be and should have.

We all admit to a lot of “should haves” but “should haves” don’t pay the bills, nor keep the doors open. While the YMCA has been part of our community for nearly 100 years, there is no guarantee that it will be here 100 years from now, 10 years from now, heck even a year from now, if we don’t show our support with our time and money. YMCA’s go out of business every year across the country and it could happen here unless we give of not only our dollars but our time.

And this applies to all organizations involved in Big Give McCook, as well as those not involved but equally important to the success of our communities. They need our support on Big Give, but they also need our support year round.

So while Big Give McCook is over for 2021, the website remains accessible year-round. Use it as a tool to research organizations in our community which are doing good things, which are making things happen, which are helping those in most need of our help.

On the website, there is contact information for each organization. Reach out to them to see how you can help. Maybe it is helping with their newsletter. Maybe it is designing their website. Maybe it is helping with repairs on their facility. The possibilities are endless.

Maybe you attend an event that you enjoy. Ask the organizers how you can get involved. Maybe you reach an article in the Gazette about a group in need. Call to see how you can help.

By working together, by giving of our time, talent and treasure, by not taking people nor organizations for granted, we will all make our communities a better place to call home.

***

Speaking of the Y, congratulations to Dr. Wayne Watkins and his daughter, Jessica Johnson for completing the 100-mile swim challenge at the Y. This was no small feat. The challenge started in January and there were many opportunities to quit, to fall behind in the milage, to say “that’s enough of this water,” but they showed up all year long and put in at least 3,600 laps back and forth across the pool.

And what was equally impressive was seeing the father-daughter encouraging each other, holding each other accountable and Jessica keeping track of the miles for herself as well as her dad. They were both in the pool together every day except one morning when Jessica couldn’t make it, although one of them finished their 36 daily laps for a mile before the other. I will let them share who was the fastest.

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Dec. 2025 Volunteer of the McCook Beautifying Downtown McCook

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By Ronda Graff • November 22, 2025

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