Progress . . .

Development . . .

Growth . . .

Advancement . . .

Improvement . . .

Evolution . . .

Take whichever noun you want to use. They were most likely used some time last week in the monthly meeting of the Lawrence Community Center Fund Raising Committee.

The committee met to review the results of the recent St. Patrick's Day fund raising event. While everyone had high expectations, not everyone realized just how well the event actually did.

The community sign was updated the following day to show the new total the committee has on record with the Nuckolls County Foundation. The total of $606,652 is actually $83,477 high than the sign showed in January of 2023.

That $83,477 includes almost $39,000 that resulted from the fund raiser event. The balance also included a couple of "Pledges" being paid, or partially paid plus donations from the American Legion, and the Rep Valley Trap Club, memorials and individuals.

The history of what is now a ten year journey is interesting. The first six years were slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the initial effort characterized by inertia and just not being sure how to approach the job of raising enough money for the building.

However, a stepped-up effort in the last two to three years has been successful. Since 2020 when the amount read $213,022, almost $400,000 has been added to the dream of Lawrence area residents.

The amazing thing about this effort to secure funds is that the majority of the $606,652 has been raised locally with small donations. The exception being a $150,000 donation from an estate. A Nebraska State Income Tax Credit for donations to the building fund was also a major part of the money.

Looking ahead, the committee is still looking for grant opportunities, for payments on pledge amounts like the American Legion is now doing. They are planning on other fund raising ideas and would welcome any donations of any type: Grant opportunities; Estate gifts; Material gifts like the hay donation at the fund raiser which brought in more than $11,000; Transfers of retirement accounts to the Building Fund; etc. Committee members would be happy to talk to anyone about a donation of any size.

So, you could use any of the nouns listed at the beginning of this story, but you'd be missing the 'tone' of the meeting. You'd have to use a few other words to describe the feelings that came out at the meeting. Those words were:

"Faith" . . .

"Hope" . . .

      Lyle Kohmetscher, (left) a representative of the Lawrence American Legion Post 45, presents a check to Joe Theer, the president of the Lawrence Community Building Committee as a partial payment on the American Legion Pledge to the building fund of $35,000. In the first three months of 2023, more than $80,000 has been added to the building fund.

"Love" . . .

The committee has the "Faith" that the good people of the Lawrence area, and Lawrence natives living elsewhere will see this project through to completion.

The committee displayed "Hope" that the job can be done 'sooner' rather than 'later.'

"Love" is displayed by the time, effort and energy the committee had put forward to make this addition to the community a reality.

One last word might help describe the meeting. That would be:

Thankful . . .

The committee as a whole and as individuals expressed thanks to all who help organizing and working for the fund raiser, and, thanks to all who helped support the effort to help give Lawrence a new Community Center.