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McCook Library to celebrate donation with ceremony on Saturday
McCOOK, Neb. -- The public is invited to join in the McCook Heritage Days celebration as former U.S. Sen. and Nebraska Gov. Ben Nelson personally welcomes the public Saturday, 1 p.m. at the southeast entrance of McCook Public Library with the announcement of the future Birdella Nelson Technology Center.
Several members of the community have served on a committee to assist Nelson with this generous gift that will honor his mother’s memory while ensuring his hometown’s public library continues to enhance residents’ knowledge, skills and quality of life. A few members of the community will also share brief remarks during the public announcement.
Nelson’s $500,000 donation kickstarted the Birdella Nelson Endowment for the Library account within McCook Community Foundation Fund (MCFF), an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation. Named after Nelson’s mother, the endowment’s payout— expected to exceed $20,000 within its first year—will fund programs, activities and technology to assist the McCook Public Library in achieving a margin of excellence for years to come.
Senator Nelson’s mother, Birdella, taught him how to read before he entered kindergarten. He credits this as giving him a huge leg up when he started school. It provided the opportunity for him to be successful in school and created a foundation to allow him to achieve success in public and private spheres.
A part of this love of reading was developed through the McCook Library. Senator Nelson still remembers receiving his first library card from Librarian, Millicent Slaby and the Senator still remembers his library card number. Senator Nelson would like to honor his mother’s contribution to his development and the role reading and a love of learning that the library helped foster contributed to his success.
The Library Director, along with the Library Foundation Board, will convey their wishes to a committee convened by the McCook Community Foundation Fund that includes MCFF Advisory Committee members and Library Foundation Board members along with representatives of the youth, public schools, and the college.
The Endowment Account for the Birdella Nelson Technology Center is a sub-account of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, which is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.