Adams Bank and Trust Makes Donation Toward Lodgepole Challenge

LODGEPOLE – Lodgepole Community Fund (LCF) recently received a $5,000 donation from Ogallala-based Adams Bank and Trust, which owns the bank in Lodgepole.

The gift will help match a challenge grant offered by the family of former banker E.K. Yanney, a respected businessman and leader in the Lodgepole community. E.K.’s daughters, Mary Jo Klinetobe, Michele Wehbi and Julie Yanney, along with his brother Michael Yanney, offered a $20,000 Challenge Grant to be met one-to-one by LCF. This challenge is meant to honor and memorialize E.K., as well as assist LCF’s growth.

“The Adams and Yanney family had a longtime personal and professional relationship,” said Adams Bank and Trust CEO Todd Adams. “Both Melvin Adams, Sr. and E. K. Yanney served in World War II. When it came time for E. K. to sell the family bank, he entrusted the bank and its care of the Lodgepole community to our family, and we are honored to continue the commitment to caring for the community demonstrated by the Yanney family.”

Lodgepole Community Fund has now raised over $10,000 toward the challenge, and volunteers are gearing up for the Old Settlers Days activities over the Labor Day weekend. The Fund will be hosting a brainstorming session Saturday, Oct. 30. This session will help LCF identify focus areas and where the unrestricted endowment annual payout that can be reinvested into the community. The Fund Advisory Committee (FAC) would like the public to come and participate in this future focused planning session.

Lodgepole Community Fund affiliated with the Nebraska Community Foundation in 2020. The FAC is focused on building the unrestricted endowment and raising money for the Panther Activity Center (PAC). The building, which is the former Lodgepole High School building, now serves as a community center, gymnasium, work out center and will house the Village offices.

The unrestricted endowment will serve as a community savings account. The principal will be invested and LCF will receive a payout each year to grant back into the community. The fund will continue to grow while benefitting the community now and for future generations.

“We are grateful to the Yanney family for this Challenge and look forward to honoring E.K.’s legacy by building something that will positively benefit the Lodgepole community now and for years to come,” said LCF Chair Gwen Devie. “E.K. was the guy that made things happen in Lodgepole and now the Lodgepole Community Fund along with the VISIONS group, are making things happen in Lodgepole.”

If you are interested in learning more about the LCF please contact one of the Fund Advisory Committee members: Gwen Devie, Bill Taylor, Cindy Bondegard, Tom Nelson, Janet Fox, Gary Addison, Gordy Wilkins and Glenda Shellhorn. Representatives from the museum also serve on the committee.

About Lodgepole Community Fund

The Lodgepole Community Fund is dedicated to progress and long-term prosperity. A volunteer Fund Advisory Committee works actively to increase charitable giving and award grants to local worthy causes and projects that are addressing emerging needs and future opportunities in our community. Lodgepole Community Fund is an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation. About Nebraska Community Foundation

Headquartered in Lincoln, the Foundation serves communities, donors and organizations by providing financial management, strategic development, education and training to a statewide network of 1,500 volunteers serving 270 communities.

In the last five years, 45,313 contributions have been made to Nebraska Community Foundation and its affiliated funds. Since 1994, Nebraska Community Foundation has reinvested $393.1 million in Nebraska’s people and places. For information, visit http://www.NebraskaHometown.org.