Andy and Geri Andersen had a passion for young people. So they turned that passion into a reality by creating an endowment with a focus on young people, with payouts to be distributed annually by a group of young people.
Their financial gift to the McCook Community Foundation Fund is intended to support causes and dreams that will benefit youth, which gives youth the opportunity to disperse annual grant funds and which encourages young people to come home to raise their own families. The Anderson’s financial support is how MCFF’s youth organization, Youth Change Reaction (YCR), came to be and which has led to the support of other youth programs in the community.
While I joined the MCFF Advisory Committee in 2018, I actually became involved in 2009 through my co-sponsorship of YCR, just one program for youth I am proud to be involved in and support.
As an educator for 35 years, my passion has always been the preparation of students for life after high school. My McCook High School students completed projects and job shadowing to expose them to the variety of careers and opportunities in Southwest Nebraska.
The latest effort to expose students to the potential in our community is a project called “Bison Days.” I am proud to serve on the Bison Days committee as well.
MCFF has financially supported “Bison Days” for the past two years and has set aside funds for this coming spring if the current pandemic allows us to proceed. This two-day program is for the entire McCook High School student body, teachers, and community members.
Through this program, students have the opportunity to take part in up to four courses that are not typically offered at McCook High School. This project is similar to college interim programs except in length and scope. The two days of classes allow students to find potential hobbies, explore career interests, and develop skills which don’t always have a place or a time in the regular classroom.
The goal of the project is to help students explore opportunities in the community and also to nurture relationships between students, community volunteers, and the McCook High School staff who are teaching the classes.
The program consists of partnering with 20-30 community members and businesses to help provide the instruction for the 90+ classes that are offered. The committee feels it is important to utilize local businesses and resources to provide students with more opportunities for real world connections within the community of McCook as well as showing students the future employment opportunities available here.
Some examples of classes run by community members and teachers are sewing, cooking, self-defense, home repair, donut making, archery, jelly making, quilting, Fantasy Sports, architectural drafting, and auto detailing. Last year’s popular classes included cooking classes, boater’s safety, ice fishing, prom hair styles, facial care and make up, jousting, and floral arranging.
The idea for Bison Days came from a similar project held at Cozad High School called “Maker Days.” The committee from Cozad joined us last year and toured our sites and offerings. As their tour guide, I enjoyed their positive comments about our community and the overall event. Videos documenting the past two years of Bison Days can be viewed on the McCook High School website.
Developing a sense of community has been a strong goal of McCook High School over the last few years and MCFF is proud to continue the legacy of Andy and Geri Anderson through financial support for these tremendous youth programs.
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.
