McCook Nebraska Cat Pack

A team of youth volunteers who passionately serve the McCook Humane Society raising both community awareness and donations to support their local animal shelter mission. Founding members were active fundraisers for 11 years starting in early elementary school through middle school and high school. MCP alumni members wish to thank the McCook community and southwest Nebraska for, "helping us help th

e shelter!" The MCP is currently "inactive." BACKGROUND:
The McCook Cat Pack (MCP) was founded the summer of 2009 with a basic lemonade stand and bake sale in the kids front yard. The youth volunteers made a list, bought supplies at their McCook Walmart, made tasty lemonade, baked warm cookies and brownies to sale at a table with home made signs and balloons. A few third graders, two fifth graders, and 3.5 hours invested the girls raised a humble $9.75 from their first fundraiser but boy were they excited. After counting their money the girls proudly delivered the money raised with their cat "Switch" to the animal shelter. A photo op, a brief McCook Gazette story and the MCP was officially launched and anxious to do more. GOAL:S:
The primary goals of the McCook Cat Pack (MCP) were twofold:
a. "Raise Awareness" for the value of adopting shelter animals
b. and "Raise Funds" for the local McCook Humane Society which serves southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas. RESULTS:
Examples of MCP volunteering efforts included (PLEASE REFERENCE FB "photo albums"):

Hosting bake sales and lemonade stands, representing the shelter with tables and booths at community events, designing an online pet photo contest, crafting new cat and dog 12 month calendars and greeting cards, partnering with an international card company to design and develop a custom deck of shelter playing cards, the girls created a kids coloring book, secured dozens of loyal community sponsors and sold a variety of animal themed merchandise during the Red Willow County Fair, Heritage Days, Dog Days in the Park, the McCook Farm and Ranch Expo and various holiday craft sales at the City Auditorium or Kiplinger complex. THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY:
The McCook Cat Pack's (MCP) first lemonade stand 2009 was inspired from their cat named "Switch." Switch was a very large Tuxedo (Maincoon / Snowshoe breed mix) rescued from a farm barn in central Kansas. As the girls cat grew larger Switch became a confident and flamboyant boy cat who actually acted like /or thought he was a dog (or a human). Switch was "in charge" and ruled the house, yard, and neighbors yards (and roofs). He roamed the neighborhood north of Kelly Park in McCook, NE and his interests included: driving in cars, hanging out the window, climbing rooftops, listening to Elvis and Van Morrison CD's, hunting small animals and flying creatures (from turtles to bats). He was a hit visiting kids in school for "show and tell," appeared in parades and performed daily cat yoga. In short, Switch was a most unique and special cat who impressed everyone who met him with how smart, friendly, funny and brave he was. THE BIRTH OF A COMIC STORY:
With encouragement from the McCook Humane Society and the McCook Daily Gazette, an original comic strip about Switch was created by a Central Elementary 5th grader, Chloe Dixon. The comic strip highlighted his "out of the box" crazy feline behavior and cat life. It was titled, "Super Switch - The Return of Katnip World." Chloe's comic stories were published in the "Whiskers" animal shelter section for the Gazettes “weekend edition" and ran for 3+ years (160 weekends). While each comic strip retold real stories of Switches life it also embellished his character as a super hero like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Superman or Batman. He had super feline powers which allowed him to fly, use the power of invisibility, super strength against dogs, with the power of super smell. The adventures of Katnip World comics told tales of Switch defending the defenseless from bully dogs and scary villains like, “The Claw, The Hammer, The Guinea Gang, Snapper, and "Fluffy the Furious. Protecting kittens, fighting bad dogs, serving the Mayor and guarding community catnip treats was "job one” in Katnip World. CAT PACK VOLUNTEERS BEGIN:
Switch inspired two sisters (Chloe & Sarah) who involved their close friends to join together in elementary school to help their local shelter each summer and fall by volunteering on weekends and after school. After two years of consistent activities the "McCook Cat Pack," (MCP) name was coined by the volunteers and adopted by the shelter. A simple vision created by elementary school friends who shared the desire to make a positive difference for abandon animals and strays. It began with simple basic lemonade stands and bake sales. And it grew each year into bigger projects as new Cat Pack friends showed up AND the founders grew up. By the 3rd year of volunteering (2012) the McCook Humane Society “Board of Directors” officially adopted the youth Cat Pack as community fundraisers and at a special recognition party (Thank you Lori Prestes) presented them with a thank you celebration, presentation and a recognition plaque for their results to date, "Volunteers of the Year” award plaque. THROUGH THE YEARS:
Over time, the MCP tried new and different things. For example: the team designed a coloring book, created annual calendars, made a custom deck of playing cards, crafted original artwork and posters, designed cat pack logos merchandise: mouse pads, t-shirts, coffee mugs, refrigerator magnets, greeting cards, recycled stuffed animals, and other cat and dog themed merchandise. Local businesses and private donations supported these projects and 100% of each fundraiser proceeds benefited the McCook shelter. In 11 years the girls saw no less than 50+ businesses step forward to sponsor (or host) an event (or project) to support the shelter. There are too many sponsors to mention here but a few organizations and community leaders were investing in these girls and the McCook Humane Society "each and every year" the MCP needed a partner to purchase materials to support an event, i.e. Community Hospital, the McCook Clinic, Eakes Office Plus, Longnecker Jewelry, Sehnerts Bakery, Horizon bank, MNB bank, KRD Credit Union and Webb Body Shop were ALWAYS there consistently supporting the cause.

11 years of MCP experiences included involvement at community events (ie. 4th of July, Fall festivals, Heritage Days, Dog Days in the Park, Holiday Craft Sales, Red Willow County Fair, Farm & Ranch Expo at the Kiplinger, the MCF Night on the Bricks, among others. What started as a simple youth cause to "have fun making a difference" eventually lit, kindled and burned bright through elementary school, middle school, and high school while touching a lot of four legged furry lives. PRESENT DAY:
Today, the founding MCP and core youth members have all grown up and moved on as young adults with careers and family priorities. Two volunteers now live in Ohio, one in Tennessee, one in Colorado and one in Kansas. Several girls remain in Nebraska (from Omaha, to Lincoln, to McCook). But the love each MCP alumni volunteer holds for animals and giving back continues to this day. They hope their MCP legacy will live on through new inspired youth who choose to help their local shelter, “give a voice to the voiceless.”

MCP PHOTO ALBUMS:
To revisit some of the MCP milestones and memories, please check out our Facebook “photo gallery images.” If you wish to see the pet photo contest results (10 years = 10 calendars), you can 1. google “the cats and dogs of McCook” and 2. pick a year between 2014- 2022 to see annual pet photo contest results and winners (reference GoGo photo contests). CONTACT:
The Cat Pack occasionally checks and replies via email BUT we are inactive so do not expect a prompt reply. We appreciate your patience. We maintain this FB site as an "archived memory scrapbook." Q: Who knows, maybe we will (or someone) will write a book about our volunteering adventure and experiences in the future? If you like our story and photo albums please share it with your family and friends. Please encourage your kids (or grandkids) to think of simple acts of kindness they can create to help their local shelter (or another worthy organization in need). We wish to thank everyone who was involved for their consistent and ongoing support of the McCook Humane Society and shelter animals and remember our MCP motto, "Hands build a house, Paws make it a home."