Events center will play important part in our future

It's easy for Southwest Nebraska to take McCook Community College for granted. Somehow, we're used to the idea that we can get a good start on, or even complete a four-year degree right here at home.

We count on having continuing education available in McCook, and community classes to help us learn about special interests and hobbies.

We may even be taking online classes that originate at MCC, or taking advantage of extended campuses like the one in Imperial.

MCC is a bargain by any standard, offering a true college experience at a relatively low cost, with dedicated, experienced instructors, working on a beautiful campus with modern dormitories.

It's good, therefore, to see the community ready to invest a substantial sum toward this important resource.

This week, the college board of governors reaffirmed its $2.5 million total commitment toward a new events center on MCC and a new health center at North Platte Community College. Sunday night, the McCook College Foundation pledged another $2 million for the MCC events center, and announced honorary co-chairs and team leaders for the fund-raising program.

The events center is sorely needed. True Hall has served the college well, but it's been upgraded about as far as it can be.

The new 53,000 square-foot building will replace True Hall, and provide a competition gymnasium with retractable seating for up to 2,000 spectators. It also will have an auxiliary practice gym for MCC's six intercollegiate sports programs, a main floor cardiovascular, aerobics and weight training area, 210 off-street parking spaces for the events center as well as Weiland Field, and multi-functional space to support college, community and public service activities, programs, meetings and conferences.

It will no doubt be a boon to recruitment of athletes and scholars looking for the right kind of college experience. It will also put McCook in position to offer more sports tournaments and other large events we are not now able to accommodate.

But current pledges are only about a third of the way toward the price of the event center. It will cost about $9.5 million, with another half-million dollars to establish an endowment fund which will generate income to pay for maintenance and operating costs.

We have no doubt the drive will be successful.

Walk around the campus, and buildings like the Hormel Business and Technology Center and Walsh Brady Hall attest to the generosity of those who wish to pay the community back for the opportunities it has offered.

But it may not be done as easily or as quickly as we might hope.

We wish the fund-raisers well, and we urge those who are able to play a part in this important investment in our community's future to be generous.