Weekend events exhibit special degree of success

Once again, the people of the Golden Plains have outdone themselves by hosting outstanding community events.

This weekend was especially busy, with Decatur and Hitchcock county fairs on tap, as well as Old Settler's Day in Indianola and the Relay For Life in McCook.

Special successes took place, with hundreds of people gathering for the Old Settler's Picnic in Indianola and the Relay for Life in McCook.

In both cases, records were established.

At the Relay For Life, walkers turned Norris Park into a night-long flow of activity, raising more than $21,000 in the process. That's $6,000 more than the previous year to help in the fight against cancer.

As important as the money is, of even more significance were the emotions which poured out during the Relay for Life. As cancer survivors -- wearing special purple t-shirts -- told their stories, tears trickled down cheeks and hearts swelled with hope and pride.

Rarely has Norris Park been so busy. Walkers were on the move throughout the evening and early morning, some striding around the outer sidewalks, others criss-crossing the park's interior walkways.

The Old Settler's celebration in Indianola was also an awesome event, with the parade lasting an hour and ten minutes and the car show attracting 107 entries.

"It was great ... just great," said Connie Jo Discoe, who has been covering the event for the Gazette for the past decade.

It was a very special time for the people of Indianola, who were observing the 100th anniversary of the Old Settler's Picnic. Responding to the occasion, volunteers did an outstanding job, moving the celebration to Saturday to accomodate more people.

It worked wonderfully well. The Old Settler's Picnic has been going on for 100 years, and this was one of the best celebrations ever.

There's a reason Nebraska's slogan is "The Good Life." At its best, good living is when people work together for the mutual benefit of their communities.

That's what took place at the Relay for Life and the Old Settler's Picnic. By contributing their time and talent, volunteers in Indianola and McCook uplifted their communities ... and, in the process, made "The Good Life" even better.