“Homespun Fun” Crazy Days

July 12-14 marked the annual summer retail promotion sponsored by the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. Several merchants participated in the Crazy Days costume contest on Thursday morning. Judges selected the staff of McCook Pharmacy & Medical Supply as the winner of the Husker Football tickets which were provided by MNB.

Crazy Days Costume Contest Winners McCook Pharmacy & Medical Supply

Saturday morning entertainment which was coordinated by the McCook Cordials included minnow races and turtle races for the kids. A good number of participants cheered on their entries in each of the races. A number of “heats” in the minnow races were needed to make certain that all of the kids were able to participate. The brightly decorated turtles scurried across the hot city street to cross the finish line in a very valiant effort to win the prizes. Prizes for both events were donated by Subway, Pizza Hut/KFC/TacoBell and Cinema Three.

Brenda McGuire of the McCook Cordials was the official "starter" of the minnow races.		"Pick a Turtle....Any Turtle!"

Veterans and soldiers, sponsored by several McCook businesses, were treated to a complimentary steak lunch served by the McCook Dance Starz. Schmick's Market provided the steaks.

Ten teams entered the Backyard BBQ contest with hopes of claiming the 2007 title. The first place prize was a Ducane barbeque grill donated by D & S Hardware in addition to $150.00 cash provided by the Chamber. Bruce McDowell, McCook, took the honors. Second place of $100.00 was claimed by Luke Knox (sponsored by Brown’s Shoe Fit Company) and third place of $50.00 went to Will Midkiff (sponsored by Parker Hannifin). Schmick’s Market generously donated the rib-eye steaks for the contest. In addition, Schmick’s Market also provided steaks which the contestants prepared for ticketholders. The McCook Dance Starz, a new MHS Drill Team, served the side dishes to complement the meal and will share in the proceeds of the ticket sales. Honored guests for the steak sandwich lunch were soldiers and veterans from around the area. The following businesses sponsored tickets for them: Heartland Cattle, AmFirst Bank, McCook National Bank, Community Hospital, Wagner Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac-Cadillac, McCook Clinic, McCook Daily Gazette, Southwest Implement, Peterson Jewelers, Wagner Ford-Mercury-Toyota, The Sports Shoppe, Accents, Etc., VK Electronics and Eakes OP.

Bruce McDowell, McCook, is the proud new owner of the Ducane BBQ grill which was donated by D & S Hardware as well as $150.00 cash provided by the Chamber for his First Place entry in the Backyard BBQ Contest.

Luke Knox, sponsored by Brown's Shoe Fit Company, took home second place honors and $100.00.		Parker Hannifin sponsored Production Manager, Will Midkiff, who served up the third place entry in the contest and took home $50.00 for his efforts.

Goal Setting Session for Chamber

Community Hospital hosted the Chamber’s Annual Goal Setting Session on July 10. In past years this important session has been held in January of the calendar year. Changes in the Chamber By-laws, which moved the Board of Director terms into alignment with the fiscal year beginning July 1, also prompted the date change for the Goal Setting Session. Jim Ulrich, President, led the planning session. Specific wording remains to be crafted but, in general, the Chamber Board will focus on membership growth, event review, cooperative efforts with HTC, Lied Main Street and Leadership McCook, marketing of the McCook Area through utilization of City funds and development of a performance appraisal system for the Chamber staff. As we work toward accomplishing these goals, we will set the course to assure a strong Chamber in the years ahead.

Heritage Days is Upon Us!

The Heritage Days Committee begins meeting in February each year to plan for the upcoming community celebration. .....And now it is just around the bend! (September 29-30) We are excited about the additions being made to the celebration due to the 125th Committee and the plans they are making! Complete schedules will be publicized near the end of August. Each year in May, the selection of our Grand Marshall, Parade Marshall and Honor Family is made. In the fall, students at Red Willow County schools are invited to apply for the Heritage Days Royalty. All of the selections are kept as confidential as possible until the announcements are made at the Heritage Days Mixer which is hosted by McCook National Bank.

***Note that parade applications are available at the Chamber office or online at our website, www.aboutmccook.com.

Leadership Institute Makes Debut

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce and a Steering Committee of interested individuals are currently involved in restructuring the former “Leadership McCook” program into what will be known as the “Leadership Institute”. The program, which will provide avenues for participants to obtain optional college credits, will take a regional approach to building leadership skills in communities across Southwest Nebraska. The committee visualizes a cross-section of Institute participants encompassing high school aged students through retired individuals. Some segments of the program will resemble those that were most successful during the eleven year leadership program that ended in 2003. However, the new “Leadership Institute” will feature components derived from the Leadership Pillar of the Hometown Competitiveness (HTC) program and from a joint venture with McCook Community College. “Leadership McCook” Alumni are invited to recommend the program to fellow colleagues who will benefit from the Institute.

You will want to belong to the prestigious group of “Leadership Institute” graduates so sign up today! The number of class participants will be limited. Applications are due no later than August 15. If interested, you may obtain an application by contacting the Chamber office at 345-3200 or via e-mail at info@aboutmccook.com.

Anyone with questions regarding the Leadership Institute are invited to contact any Steering Committee member. The Steering Committee is comprised of Bill Burton, Wells Fargo Bank; Janet Weber, McCook Community College; Angela Wagner, McCook National Bank; Clark Bates, McCook Christian Church; Rob Stamm, Lifetime Eyecare; Denise Ringenburg; and Pam Harsh of the Chamber.