MCFF celebrates accomplishments, looks to future

Wednesday, January 20, 2016
McCook Community Foundation Fund committee members Dr. Bill Graves, left, and Don (Scrooge) Harpst challenge members of Youth Change Reaction to share their visions of McCook's future at the MCFF annual banquet Tuesday night. (Shary Skiles/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- The definition of the word "commit" is to bring together or to unite. It is not a coincidence that the word "community" originated from commit.

"There is something special about McCook. It has a kind of brand that is full of genuine, gracious community leadership," according to Matt Rezac, Director of Rural Community Partnerships with the Sherwood Foundation.

Rezec addressed a gathering of community leaders at the McCook Community Foundation Fund annual banquet Tuesday night.

The banquet was a celebration of the completion of two fund-raising campaigns, both well ahead of schedule.

The Sherwood Foundation Challenge was announced in 2013, and challenged McCook Community Foundation Fund Committee to raise $500,000 in unrestricted endowment gifts by Dec. 31, 2015. If successful, The Sherwood Foundation would donate an additional $250,000. The task was completed 18 months ahead of schedule, and added $750,000 to MCFF endowment.

The second campaign was the L. Arvene and Neva Myers Family Challenge Grant, which had a goal of raising $180,000 in unrestricted gifts by Dec. 31, 2016. Again, if successful, the Meyers family would make a gift of $90,000. Rising to the task, MCFF Committee achieved the goal within one year, increasing the fund balance by $270,000.

Earnings from the investment of these gifts will be used to improve the lives of McCook residents for many years to come. MCFF committee members Dr. Bill Graves and Don (Scrooge) Harpst told the gathering that fund raising should also be considered "fun-raising." "It is not the money that is important," said Scrooge. "It is the engagement of the people."

Members of Youth Change Reaction, a group of high school students who are the youth component of MCFF, shared three of their visions for the future of McCook. Transitioning McCook Community College to a four-year college, reversing the population decline and brain drain; and building a student center for high school and college age residents were their visions for the future.

MCFF Committee Chair Doug Skiles described what McCook was like in the 1960s, when he moved from Wilsonville to McCook at age nine. "I swam at the YMCA pool, where you took about two strokes and then had to turn because it was so small. I rode my bike past St. Catherine's Hospital and played basketball on some vacant lots near today's site for the Senior Center. Baseball practice was held on the vacant lot behind True Hall and McMillen Hall, the only classroom buildings at the McCook College."

As a child, Skiles did not see that McCook needed a better YMCA, a new hospital, a Senior Center, and an expanded college campus. He didn't have that vision, but past community leaders did and made all of those things happen.

"MCFF is now beginning a process of identifying the assets that we already have in the community and determining how we can leverage these assets to make improvements for everyone. We need a lot of input. We want our response to all input to be YES, AND, not no, but."

MCFF Treasurer Mark Graff challenged the young attendees in the audience, "Always be proud of your hometown. Never underestimate that you can make a difference. It's your McCook, now." In closing, he quoted lyrics to an Eagles song written by the late Glenn Frey: "It's your world now; use well the time; be part of something good; leave something good behind."

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: