“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” - Albert Einstein
I’m a retired dentist who moved to McCook with my family in June 1969 to become the junior associate of the famous Blank brothers - Lavern and Don. I went on to practice dentistry for 45 years.
Three days after I retired at the age of 72, my mentor and friend, Don Harpst, recruited me to join the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Advisory Committee. Despite being a founding member and a four-hour orientation, I still was not sure exactly how this foundation-concept worked nor how I would be an asset.
Fortunately, I found myself on a road trip with Don Harpst, Peggy Been and Ronda Graff to my first annual Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) training and banquet to Columbus, Neb.
Like the Nebraska Dental Association conferences, the NCF annual conference has a common theme and brings together hundreds of volunteers from across the state. I was part of an NCF network with 1,500 community volunteers from 270 communities in 82 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.
(And mark your calendars because the NCF training and banquet will be in McCook this November.)
But back in 2015 in Columbus while attending break-out meetings on various subjects, I suddenly found my “why.”
The main reason why this work is important to me now is that I love McCook and I love making a difference. The values that MCFF represents are important to me. They are honesty, integrity and inclusivity. Our networking with NCF has accomplished so much and we are incredibly proud and grateful.
But there is more to do.
“The meaning of life is to find our gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” - Pablo Picasso
The intergenerational transfer of wealth is massive and continues to move rapidly. Nebraska became the “Good Life” because people recognized and seized new opportunities. Now is the time to act on an opportunity that can shape Nebraska’s future.
Over the next 50 years, Nebraskans will transfer billions of dollars to the next generation. This transfer of wealth offers an unprecedented opportunity if we count our communities among our heirs.
Imagine what an investment of just five percent of this transfer of wealth could do for long-term economic development and qualify of life in McCook. Over the next 50 years, $2.3 billion will transfer from one generation to the next in Southwest Nebraska.
The opportunity is massive. The time is now.
We must act now to encourage charitable investment in the future of our community while the window is open. We must teach, encourage and inspire each other to give back today. And we must include our community in our estate planning for tomorrow.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” - Anne Frank
Regardless of your age, I recommend everyone consider the following:
Give to the endowment of your community fund or favorite charity.
Talk to your professional advisor about including your community in your estate plan.
Create a donor-advised fund to support charitable giving.
Learning how you can create your own personal legacy.
On a personal note, when I retired in July 2014, my wife, Sandy, and I made a planned gift to the community of McCook through MCFF and NCF with the help of NCF’s Jim Gustafson, Edward Jones’ Garett Rippen, attorney Bryant Brooks, CPA Kristen Stagemeyer and Pinnacle Bank’s Mark Kisker. The gift we made will create a legacy that will live on in perpetuity.
Everyone has the choice about whether to give or not give, but I will say this: Sandy and I both love McCook and this gift was probably one of the most rewarding and grateful feelings that we could have ever imagined.
“We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill
Bill Graves is a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Advisory Committee and has a passion for anything that will make McCook thrive, grow and prosper.
McCook's last hometown bakery closed this past week, leaving a void not just for donuts but for connections.
Many organizations and businesses in McCook offer the opportunity to recycle, reuse and repair items that may just end up in the trash.
Organizer for Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival and former librarian named Oct 2025 volunteer of the month.
McCook's Third Thursdays were created to get businesses and organizations involved and designed to create life-long memories for the community.
Long-time community advocate Barb Ostrum received the Sept 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month award.
We need to celebrate our young people while they are here and encourage them to return.
While some like myself appreciate a rainy day, others dread them for a variety of reasons. We need to be empathetic as interact with others.
MCFF Fall Grant Deadline is Oct. 1. Complete list of former recipients on MCFF website
With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
