Big Give supports SWNGS and Fox Theatre

McCOOK, Neb. -- One thing McCook values is its history, whether its the through the continued use of a beautifully-restored theater or researching a family’s genealogy. Thanks to Big Give McCook on Thursday, Nov. 7, McCook can show its support for both the Fox Theatre and Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society.

The goal of the Fox Theatre is to once again make it one of the premier locations for events in Southwest Nebraska - something happening tonight in fact.

The Fox Theatre is hosting “The Lied’s Night of Broadway,” a free show which begins at 7 p.m. Hundreds of local students filled the theater this afternoon for the production’s matinee.

Built by Albert Barnett, the "Fox Theatre" opened its doors Jan. 28, 1927, as the World Theatre and featured five Vaudeville acts of live entertainment every Sunday.

Over the next 35 years,j ownership transferred several times, from the Omaha-based World Theatres, to the Rocky Mountain Theatre Company, and finally to the Fox Theatre Company.

In 1974, the theater was purchased by Bison Enterprises, Inc., that also operated the Bison Drive Inn Theatre. In 1978, John and Eileen Hubert bought the building, which was leased to several operators until 1987, when the showing of movies ceased.

In 1988, the Huberts sold the building to the Alliance for the Encouragement of Visual and Performing Arts (AEVPA), a non-profit corporation. The Alliance has made the facility available to theater groups, the McCook Concert Association, storytelling festivals, church services and concerts, school concerts and many other organizations.

In May of 2005, a group of community-minded citizens assumed control of the non-profit corporation with the intent to completely renovating and refurbishing the theatre with the intent of preserving its historical integrity and making the completed project available to area citizens for various uses.

With several renovation projects complete, the Alliance continues to raise funds to complete other projects to further enhance the Fox Theatre and return it one again as the “Showplace” for McCook and Southwest Nebraska. For more information about the Fox Theatre, visit foxtheatremccook.org.

Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society (SWNGS) was formed in 1975 to foster interest in and unite those interested in family history and encourage the preservation of public and private records.

The non-profit serves as a vital source for the general public to research online databases. SWNGS became one of only four affiliates of the Family Search Library in SLC, Utah for the State of Nebraska, allowing library users access to records in the SLC Library that have restricted general public access.

The library is home to books and research from all around the world but focuses on Red Willow County as well as Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, Frontier, Gosper, Furnas and Phelps as well as the top tier counties in Northwest Kansas. For more information about SWNGS, visit their website at www.swngs.org.

Big Give McCook is Thursday, Nov. 7, from midnight to midnight. For more information about all 29 organizations involved and to make a donation on Nov. 7, visit biggivemmcook.org. Big Give McCook is coordinated by the Community Chest, a sub-account of the McCook Community Foundation Fund.