2017 diller newsletter

Diller

Hometown Connections 2017

Founded October 13, 1880

•Diller Community Foundation Fund Newsletter• An Affiliated Fund of The Nebraska Community Foundation

D R E iller

The Diller Community Foundation Fund held its inaugural D.R.E.A.M. “Diller Remembers Endowment Achieves Magnificence” auction event in Diller on November 18, 2016 at the Diller Opera House.

It was a very successful evening in several aspects.

Those attending had a great time as we brought our community together in one of the most historic buildings in the area. The Diller Opera House was beautifully decorated for the evening. Kimberly Schultis Burhoop of Lincoln sang The Lord’s Prayer prior to the meal. Local businesses were also involved in helping with the evening as Ricky’s of Hanover catered an excellent buffet meal and The Field held a cash bar.

Honored guests for the evening were Alan and JoAnn Svajgr of Cozad. We enjoyed having them back, and Alan was also kind enough to give a short talk before the auction on the importance of giving.

Attendance exceeded our expectations with over 170 people enjoying the event.

Three flights of silent auction

A M

emembers

ndowment

items were available during the evening, and over three dozen live auction items were auctioned by The Auctioneers from Beatrice, who not

only did a great job but were entertaining as well. Jadyn Schultis and Kaliegh Barnts sang a duet to everyone’s enjoyment. Sharon Arthur of

chieves

Diller was clerk for the evening and helped the end of the evening run smoothly.

During the evening, over $25,000 was raised through

agnificence

ticket sales and auction proceeds that will stay in the community. A significant portion of the proceeds was placed in the unrestricted endowment account, which is essentially a “savings account” for our community.

Increasing awareness was also one of our goals, and we feel that most in attendance learned something about the Diller Community Foundation Fund that evening. We are humbled by the support of so many people too numerous to mention including donors, helpers, auction item purchasers, and spouses of Community Foundation Fund members that made the night a success.

The Diller Community Foundation Fund plans on making this an annual event to be held the Friday night before Thanksgiving, so save the date for November 17, 2017. Ticket sales will start late summer or early fall. We are currently accepting items for this year’s event. If you would like to donate an item, please contact Scott Pretzer via email at sdpretzer@gmail.com.

Hometown Connections 2017

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Community Growth Thriving, Fitness Center & Daycare Now Open

"Dreams at Work" was the theme for the 2016 Nebraska Community Foundation Annual Conference in McCook, November 10 and 11. Members of the Diller Community Foundation Board and Campaign committee joined 400+ community volunteers from across the state to build partnerships for progress and learn ways to help our hometowns dream big. Those attending included, left side, back to front: Kimberly Burhoop, Tammy Weers, Beth Roelfs, Dennis Schmidt. Right side, back to front: Charles Barber, Diane Wellsandt, Joyce Carpenter, Peg Hemphill. Not pictured: Kayla Schnuelle. The Sandman Family Foundation of Diller served as an event sponsor.

A great new facility is planning on opening mid-July 2017. Diller-Odell is building a fitness center at the elementary school just north of the Diller water tower where the old band building used to be. One was built in Odell last year, and this one will be similar.

A goal to raise $50,000 for equipment has reached about $40,000 at the time of this writing. The Diller Community Foundation Fund was able to grant $5,000 toward the equipment for this great addition to the community thanks to people like you.

People that live in, own land in, or have kids that

opt into the school district can buy memberships and use the facility from 4:30 AM – 11:30 PM every day using a key fob. You must be at least 18. A yearly single membership will cost $50, and a yearly family membership is $80. If you donate $1,000 to the school to help purchase equipment, you will receive a complimentary 5-year membership, and if you donate $500 a 3-year membership.

Please contact Diller-Odell

schools for all the specific details in case something is misstated in this article or policies have changed.

There will be bathrooms and a one room shower with a lock on the door.

Cardio and weightlifting machines will be available for your use.

What a great asset this will be to Diller. Another reason to stay in your small hometown and not have to drive elsewhere.

Remembering our Graduates

Graduation is a time of transition for students heading out into the world or college, the workforce, the military, or whatever their path may be down the road.

The Diller Community Foundation Fund together with the Odell Area Community Enrichment group collaborated to wish our local graduates well in whatever road they will travel.

Cards of congratulations were sent to 31 graduating seniors of Diller-Odell Schools this spring. The card included a cash gift and a letter noting that as they spread their wings, we hope that they will always remember their hometown communities and the roots that they have here. They were reminded, that if in their future the opportunity is there for them to return to this area, their home communities are always there to welcome them back.

Another great addition to the Diller community on May 22, 2017, is the Little Griffins Daycare. It is located across the street from the baseball/softball/football fields at the elementary school, so will be a short walk for kids before and after school. The facility is actually the old band building that was just north of the Diller water tower at the school, and the structure itself was in really good shape. It was moved to its new location and 12’ was added onto the north end. A partial basement, bathroom, siding, windows, and kitchen, etc. were part of the project. The center currently has 10 kids enrolled and can serve up to 25 with the owner, Crystal (Hawkins) Snyder, and 2 of her full-time employees. The facility is open 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM M-F and will take kids 6 months to 13 years old. They have a separate room for infants. Different rates are available for just before and after school daycare during the school year as well. They offer lots of learning activities, daily walks, visits to the city park, outside pool days, and arts and crafts.

The Diller Community Foundation Fund has not been involved with this project, but traveling around the state of Nebraska we learn that one of the most common topics of discussion in small towns is about daycare. Since in many households both parents work, this service may help attract and keep younger adults in and around Diller.

You can contact Crystal at (402)-793-KIDS. Little Griffins Daycare – “Making a difference, one child at a time”

Hometown Connections 2017

Young Leaders Attend ‘N-Power’

The Diller Community Foundation Fund and the Odell Area Community Enrichment Group joined forces to provide scholarships for six area students to attend the 2016 N-Power Leadership Conference on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Those attending from Diller-Odell were seventh graders Esdon Weers, son of Darin and Kendra J. Weers; Kellan Gegg, son of Brian and Janelle Gegg; Madelyn Yocum, daughter of Lane and Deb Yocum; Allison Engelman, daughter of Adam and Brooke Engelman; Madelyn Meyerle, daughter of Mike and Steph Meyerle; and Madeline Swanson, daughter of John and Helen Swanson.

Alllison Engelman shared her account of her leadership conference experience:

“N-Power was a very fun experience! The leaders taught us alot about leadership while making it fun at the same time! Some of my favorite parts of it were the games we played, the dorms we slept in, and the group discussions.

Since N-Power took place in the summer, we played alot of water games.

We played a water-balloon volleyball game and some other games with water balloons. The games were fun, because they let us get wet, and that allowed us to cool down. Although the games were super fun, the main lesson they taught us was teamwork.

The dorms we slept in were super cool! We were in Burr Hall. Since there were seven middle school girls that meant one didn't get a roommate. That one was me, but that was ok, because we didn't spend much time in the dorms anyway as we were busy in the group discussions.

There were five groups -- the four high school groups and the middle school group. We were in the middle school group. Each group had its own room that they did group discussions in. We learned about how to be good leaders. These were also our teams for the Olympics. The Olympics challenged our teamwork skills, and challenged the leadership skills of our group members. As you can see, N-Power was super fun and a great learning experience! So thank you for sponsoring my trip to N-Power.”

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Preserving The Past The committee members of the Diller Old Bank Museum have been busy getting ready for the annual Diller Picnic.

Making a float for the Diller Picnic Parade is also an annual activity. During the picnic, the museum is open for visitors to come in and enjoy the displays that tell the history of Diller and the surrounding area. Sometimes descendants of families that lived in Diller will come back to discover some of the history of their family roots. One of the regular projects of the committee is to put a display in the front window of the museum.

This helps provide awareness of the museum as well as

adds interest to Main Street.

Through support from the Diller Foundation Fund, the museum committee continues to update displays and keep the building in good repair. This past year, through

donations and funding from the Diller Foundation Fund, a new roof was completed. Past funding has helped replace the windows in the building and add to displays.

Find Your Way To DILLER and Into ‘THE PATH OF TOTALITY’ Monday, August 21st of 2017 there will be a Once in a Lifetime event in Diller. Our community is in the ‘Path of Totality’ for the Total Solar Eclipse, the first to occur in North America in 99 years. The partial phase of the eclipse will begin in Diller at 11:36 A.M. Diller will experience totality for 2 minutes and 9 seconds starting at 1:02 P.M. During this totality phase day will turn to night, and temperatures may drop 25 degrees.

Plan to join eclipse watchers at the Diller-Odell Football Field in Diller to share this monumental event. Bleachers are available for seating (or bring your own chairs), restrooms will be open, free solar glasses to all who attend, win prizes during the “Moon Walk”, play trivia games, and listen to music. Food will be available or pack a picnic lunch.

If you would like to arrive early or stay a while there are 12 camper hook ups in the Diller Village Park which offer water, sewer, trash pick up, internet and cable for a cost of $15 per day for 50 amps and $13 per day for 30 amps. To reserve a camper pad, phone 402-793-5330. The park is shaded, serene, and offers a picnic shelter and play ground.

The total solar eclipse is the first in 99 years to cross North America from coast to coast. It begins in Oregon and will take less then 2 hours to reach South Carolina. The next will occur in 2024 and after that 2045.

Travel to Diller and get into the path of totality on eclipse day. See one of the greatest sights the sky has to offer.

Hometown Connections 2017

An Opportunity to Dream for the Future

The Diller Community Foundation Fund has been selected to partner with the Nebraska Community Foundation and The Sherwood Foundation in a challenge grant opportunity for the benefit of our unrestricted endowment fund.

Our goal is to raise $200,000 for the endowment fund by December 31, 2018. Once that goal is achieved, The Sherwood Foundation will grant an additional $100,000 to the endowment fund.

We are excited to have the opportunity to increase our endowment fund by $300,000 and how that will impact our community!

Since the Endowment Fund was established in 2005, $47,000 has been invested back into the community just from the earnings of the endowment fund and an additional $11,300 was granted in 2017. By adding an additional $300,000 to the Endowment Fund, we will be able to give back over $28,000 each year to projects and programs that benefit our community.

The Diller Community Foundation Fund places a strong emphasis on youth programs as well as projects that are important to all community members and alumni. A listing of some of the programs and projects supported by the Diller Community Foundation Fund are found on the following page.

We have a great start to meeting this challenge with donations received totaling $142,236.39 and additional pledges made to reach our goal. We have already received $50,000 from The Sherwood Foundation for the first $100,000 raised. We are very thankful to our initial donors for their support to achieve this goal and their vision for the future of our community.

We invite everyone to participate and make this campaign a success. Donations of any amount, large or small, are important to building the endowment fund. Your contribution to the unrestricted endowment fund is a “forever gift” that increases over time. While the Diller Community Foundation Fund grants out a portion of the earnings each year, the principal—and your gift—is left intact to continue to build the fund. Donations may be sent to Diller Community Foundation Fund at PO Box 14, Diller, NE 68342 or made online at www.nebcommfound. org/fund/diller.

2017 Membership

Alan & JoAnn Svajr Dr. Sharon Ocker Randy Sandman Gladys Rice Greg & Tamara Weers Sy Fasnacht David & Victoria Barnard Verneal Dodge Leatha Christ Franklin & Betty Damrow Dell D. Wehling Roelfs Transfer, Inc. Tom & Joyce Carpenter State Bank of Odell Dean & Jane Pretzer Dr. Steve & Julie Sandman Darin & Kendra Weers Larry & Sondra Germer Larry Svajgr Diller Opera House Robert & Diane Wellsandt Dean & Elizabeth Roelfs Dennis Schmidt Steve & Peggy Hemphill Scott & Holli Pretzer Troy & Micki Krieger Ronald & Kathy Schroeder Several Anonymous Donations

Thank you to our membership for their annual contribution to the general fund!

2017 Grants

The Diller Community Foundation Fund announced the grants awarded for 2017 on March 26. The granting celebration was held in conjunction with a spaghetti feed hosted by the Diller Community Club to raise funds for equipment for the Diller Fitness Center.

Diller-Odell Schools (Equipment for Diller Fitness Center)

$5,000.00

Diller Community Club (City Park Improvements)

$2,000.00

Diller Picnic Committee (Bleacher Repair & Fencing)

$2,000.00

Diller Opera House (Coat Closet Door & Poles)

$1,000.00

Jefferson County Historical Society (Old Bank Museum Updates & Repairs)

$1,500.00

Diller-Odell Ball Association (Heart Defibrillator)

$1,500.00

Village of Diller $1,000.00 (Campground Improvements) Diller-Odell Youth Football (Upgrading Equipment)

$500.00

Bullets Shooting Stars (Bats or Hats & Jerseys)

$300.00

Diller-Odell Close Up Trip (Sponsor 3 students to Washington D.C.)

$150.00

Diller Community Blood Drive (Advertising & Supplies)

$50.00

TOTAL

$ 14,600.00

Thank you to all the organizations in our community that submitted applications for the grants and the work that you do. Please contact any Fund Advisory Committee member if you are interested in applying for a grant in support of a project, program or event in the Diller community.

ACCOUNT BALANCES

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As of March 31, 2017 Endowment Fund $ 557,096.23 General Account $ 26,699.01 Main Street Account $ 1,773.43 Museum Account $ 610.81 Opera House Account $ 2,348.09 TOTAL FUND BALANCES $ 588,527.57

Hometown Connections 2017

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Diller Community Foundation Fund Investing In Our Community Youth Programs

•Elementary Summer Reading Program •DOSADA (Diller-Odell Students against drugs & alcohol) •Post Prom •Spanish Club •4-H Washington Focus Trips •Happy Harbiner’s Learning Barn •Bullets Shooting Stars •Diller-Odell Girl Scout Trips •Cub Scout Pak #222 •Diller-Odell Youth Football •Wymore/Diller/Odell Legion Baseball •Youth Leadership Conference •Senior Graduate Recognition •N-Power Scholarships •Diller-Odell Art Department

Village of Diller

•Main Street Flags •Water Department Computer •City Park Improvements •Christmas Lights •Digital Community Sign •Park Shelter Renovation •Campground Improvements •Main Street Flowers •Mini Park Sprinkler System

Diller Picnic Committee

•Electrical Upgrades & Other Repairs

•Civil War Reenactment Diller Opera •Fireworks Display House •Promotion & Advertis- •Renovations, Furnace & ing A/C •Bleacher Repair & Fencing Prairie Home

Diller Community Club

Cemetery

•Exterior Fence

Diller Commu•Video Tape Preservation nity Blood Drive •City Park Stage Repair •Vinyl Sign & Supplies & Landscaping

Diller Fire & Rescue

The Diller Community Foundation Fund is involved with annual Diller Picnic. Each year a float is •Building Project & New built for thethe parade on Saturday evening. The theme for •Football Equipment Hoses 2017 and the 121st Diller Picnic was “Once In A Lifetime”.

•Storage Shed Financial support has been given for a number of projects •Football Field Lighting American Le- throughout the years. This year a grant of $2000.00 was •Little Griffins Play- gion Post #287 given to the Diller Picnic Committee for purchasing new ground Equipment •Memorial Stone fencing and for additional bleacher repair in the Tractor •Elementary Playground •Veteran’s Plaques Pull/Mud Drag area.

Diller-Odell Public Schools

Equipment •Fitness Center Equipment •Elementary Gym A/C Diller-Odell Ball Association •Dugout Improvements •Concession Stand Renovation & Expansion •Heart Defibrillator

Diller Bank Museum •Computer/Scanner/ Printer •Replace Front Window

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Foundation Helps Students

Three eager students and one excited teacher counted down the hours until it was time to leave for Washington D.C. On March 18, 2017 the group headed to Kansas City. Sunday started early for us because our flight left at 8:00 in the morning. We had a direct flight from Kansas City to Washington D.C. As soon as we got there we met up with the

group from High Plains and took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery. We were able to see John F. Kennedy’s magnificent grave, where a flame never burns out. We also attended the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After, we went back to the hotel to kick off the Close-Up trip with the director, leaders, and other schools. We broke off into workshops and discussed different ways to be involved in the government. By the time

10:30 rolled around, it was lights out for everyone.

Rise and shine!

Breakfast was served in the main dining hall at 8:00.

By 9:00 we were loaded on the bus and departing for a full day of excitement and learning. Our first stop was the Jefferson Memorial. We were able to walk around the inside and outside. We hopped back on the bus

and traveled to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. This memorial was very unique. We were able to walk through the memorial, but it was set up sort of like a maze. There were quotes on every wall along with wonderful water fountains. After we finished up, we walked to the Martin Luther King Memorial. Later, we got to visit the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia. Before going back to the hotel, we bussed over to the Pentagon

9/11 Memorial. It was very fascinating. In the evening we discussed current public issues like juvenile justice, gun violence in schools, and youth voting. Lights out at 11:00.

Tuesday morning was just like the rest, breakfast and then we loaded the bus.

We went to Capitol Hill for a walking workshop. The entire Close-Up group gathered for a photo in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

After the walking tour we traveled to the World War II Memorial. It was interesting to see how each individual understood the set up of the memorial. As a group we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veteran Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial. We also had the chance to see the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.

Once we returned to the hotel we attended a workshop, met with our teachers, and then headed to our rooms.

On Day 4 of our adventure in D.C. the Diller-Odell group and the High Plains group were taken off program to explore the city alone. To start the day we attended the Nebraska Breakfast. We got to listen to Senators Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse, along with Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith, and Don Bacon. After breakfast we toured the nation’s capitol with Adrian Smith. After our tour we went to Union Station for dinner.

In the evening, we spent the night on the town. We got to see different memorials lit up with bright lights in the night. We arrived back at the

hotel, but made a quick stop at a grocery store before returning to our rooms. With 2 minutes to spare, we all made it just in time for room check at 11:00 pm.

Thursday was another busy day. We woke up early and went off program. The Diller-Odell group and the High Plains group jumped on the Metro and headed to the Smithsonian National Zoo. Growing up in rural Nebraska towns, most of us had zero experience when it came to riding the Metro.

It was quite comical making sure we all got on and off

at the same time. Upon arrival at the zoo, we thought it was pretty lame because there were no animals out and about. Much to our surprise the zoo turned out to be a success because we got to see pandas, giraffes, flamingos and more. After the zoo we headed to Ford’s Theater.

The theater was interesting; we saw where Abraham Lincoln was shot, along with the clothes he was wearing and the gun that shot him. Following Ford’s Theater, all of us went to the White House.

We returned back to the hotel for one last group dinner and

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Experience Washington D. C. a dance. Once again, lights out at 11:00.

Friday started very early. The time we had been anticipating all week finally arrived. New York City here we come. It was about a four hour bus ride from Washington D.C. to New York City. As soon as we arrived, we grabbed some lunch and went for a walking tour through Central Park. When our buses arrived at our hotel, everyone’s jaw dropped.

We couldn’t believe what we were really seeing. Our hotel was right on Times Square!

There were bright lights, large billboards, and hundreds of people. As we all parted ways, we explored the M&M store, Hershey store, and even the Disney store.

In the evening we attended a Broadway show, On Your Feet, The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. At the end of the night we headed to our rooms for some much needed sleep.

Saturday morning we started the day with breakfast from our five star hotel. Once our bellies were stuffed we loaded the buses and headed to the ferries. We hopped on a ferry, which took us to the beautiful Statue of Liberty. None of us knew how enormous it actually was until standing beside the statue.

We made a quick stop at Ellis Island, then headed to get some lunch. On our walking tour we saw Alexander Hamilton’s Grave. We walked to the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial, which was breathtaking. With aching feet, all of us continued to walk through the amazing city. Dinner was at a family style restaurant in Little Italy, which was different for most of us. With the sun setting, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge and got to see the fabulous skyline lit in the night. Afterward, we climbed to the top of Rockefeller Center and stood on top of the rock. Since it was

our last night in New York, we got some alone time on Times Square. We walked together, ate some tasty New York style pizza, and took lots of pictures to prove we were there. It was time for bed, but we were all sad to be ending our final night in the big city.

Our final day of the trip was a roller-coaster of emotions. We walked a few blocks to the amazing Trump Tower. We thought we could only stand outside, but then we found out it was open to the public. So, we went inside and looked around. It was really cool and now we can all say we were inside Trump Tower.

We went down 5th Avenue and imagined what our lives would be like if we could afford to shop at those stores. We got back to the normal shops, where we did end up spending some money. We ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, but then headed to the airport.

The bus ride was sad because we had just met some really great people.

When we arrived at the airport our group said goodbye to our new friends from High Plains. A lot of tears were shed, and smiles were minimal. We boarded the plane and headed back to “The Good Life.”

The Close-Up trip

was jam packed with learning, fun, and friendships. We are all glad we went on the trip because we learned so much about the government, while still having a lot of fun. We met people from all across the country and made friendships that will last a lifetime. Overall, the CloseUp trip was a success!

Hometown Connections 2017

‘We are our best resources’

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Thank You!

We Owe Our Thanks! Many folks work tirelessly to support the Diller Community. Several give time and share their talents to make it a beautiful and inviting place to visit and live. A huge thank you to Larry Germer for lovingly tending the mini park on Main Street. Thanks to Sandy Kotas who carefully tends, mows and manicures the welcome signs at the north and south entrances to town. Many thanks to Kate Schnuelle who shares her time and talents to mow and trim the Diller sign at the intersection of highways 136 and 103. As we enter our village we take for granted the beauty of these spaces. It is willing volunteers who are making this happen.

There are also individuals who mow the north and south right of ways into Diller.

Because it is uncertain who is offering their time to do this, names will not be listed.

Please accept the appreciation of the community. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

As the village maintenance man Dennis Ivie is also due a thank you for the fine job he does in keeping Diller neat and well kept. Please share your appreciation with these folks personally.

Over 30 students from Diller-Odell Junior High and High School attended this years Youth Leaders Summit hosted by HumanEX. The Youth Leaders Summit hosted by HumanEX was phenomenal. Pushing youth to be themselves and turn that into leadership skills in all areas of life. There is no set mold for leadership. After all, "we are our best resources"!

The Diller-Odell Art Club with the support of the Diller Foundation had a very successful fund raiser in 2016 with the Omaha based "Pancake Man." The students learned to organize, serve, and host the fund raiser.

Funds were used for art learning experiences, such as a trip to Kansas City MO. to learn about graphic artists and what their job entails. It was a great experience for the students.

Hometown Connections 2017

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Endowment Fund Donations

All donations made to the Endowment Fund from July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018 will help to achieve our challenge grant goal. Thank you to the following donors and our Builder’s Club donors for getting us well on our way!

Rodney and Sharon Arthur

Charles and Ardith Barber

Bryan and Janet Barnard

Lori Crawford

John and Dawn Ebeling

Jeff Engelman

Fairbury Civic Foundation-Burkley Family Funds

First National Bank of Fairbury

Darrel L. Freitag In Memory of

George, Edith and Dwaine Freitag

Gerdes Meyer Funeral Home

Ruth and Larry Horsky

Husker Rehab & Wellness Center, PC

Troy and Micki Krieger

Land O'Lakes, Inc. Foundation

Douglas and Cindy Lottman

Robert and Cynthia Milligan In Memory

of Dale Tinstman

Dr. Sharon Ocker In Memory of Dora Miller

Robbyn Roelfs In Memory of Stanley Roelfs

Gaylene Switzer Ryan

Dennis Schmidt

Stanton Farm Services, Inc.

Al & Joan Svajgr

Larry Svajgr In Memory of Joyce Svajgr

Svajgr Family Trust In Honor of

The Late Ed and Bessie Svajgr

Pamela and Martin Thies

Sarah Thimm

Richard and Elizabeth Timmerman

V & I Family Trust

Judy Weers

Marla Weichel

The Sherwood Foundation

Anonymous Donations (3)

2017 Endowment Fund Builder’s Club Gina Aurand David and Victoria Barnard Tom and Joyce Carpenter Jarrod and Kristen Heidemann Steve and Peggy Hemphill Merry Moderns Club Robert & Cynthia Milligan Michael Pralle Allen & Stacy Roelfs Dean & Elizabeth Roelfs Randy Sandman State Bank of Odell Kenneth & Linda Thomsen Greg and Tamara Weers Dell Wehling Robert & Diane Wellsandt Suzann K. Zeger Several Anonymous Donations

We appreciate the ongoing gifts to the Endowment Fund from members of the Builder's Club. Donations to the Endowment Fund continually BUILD for the future.

Your Contribution to the Future

The amount of money that people have designated in their wills and trusts to the endowment fund of the Diller Community Foundation Fund has almost doubled over the last year. As of 03/31/2017, the amount is $520,393. What a great commitment and we hope to build on that. Please consider changing your will or trust today.

As an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, we have access to General Account just the people that can help you do that. It might seem gloomy to plan for this, but there is

no better time than the present…get it…present! Your principal contribution to the en Marilyn Pretzer Gaster

Dale and Jean Tinstman Family Donor Advised dowment fund will never be spent. Only the growth on your contribution will go toward benefiting the Diller community every year…forever.

Fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation

The current investment vehicle being used will return approximately 4.5% back in

grants and the rest will be kept in investments growing the fund. Even with inflation, the Opera House Account buying power of the fund should stay relatively the same over a long period of time.

Anonymous Donation (1)

Design and Publishing by the Wymore Arbor State

Hometown Connections 2017

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Dive Into A Good Book

The fish in the ocean go swim, swim, swim! Each ‘Under the Sea’ adventure started with songs, jokes, and stories at the 2017 Summer Reading Program held at the Diller-Odell Elementary Library during June.

Children entered the under water world decorated with

water as well as fun.

Students could create shark hats, hanging jellyfish, paper sack sea horses, and more in the craft room with Beth Roelfs. During their time in the library kids enjoyed stories, live video of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, ocean yoga, and puzzles with

Grand Prize Winners!

blue lighting, fish, seaweed, a submarine overhead, and a six foot whale.

Brianna Weers guided everyone in making a balloon fish and Mahaila and Ashlen Engelman planned ocean themed games each week that included lots of

Jan Liscom and Alyssa Owens.

Betty Lawarence and Judy Landenberger managed the book checkouts and Vonnie Schlichtman shelved the books. Many junior high and high school volunteers came each week to help the 40+

campers enjoy the 90 minutes of high energy fun.

At the finale on June 30, everyone played water games and worked together to discover ‘How Long is a Whale?’. The event concluded with a popsicle treat and the grand prize drawing for 2 Defy Gravity passes, 1 pass to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, 6 donated movie passes to Cinema Centre Holly Theatre of Beatrice, and 4 donated skating passes to the Rolla-Rena Skate Center in Beatrice.

Program organizers were: Ashlen Engelman , Mahaila Engelman, Jan Liscom, Alyssa Owens, Vonnie Schlictman, and Beth Roelfs.

A big ‘THANK YOU’ to the sponsors: Diller-Odell Public Schools, the Diller Community Foundation Fund, RJM Design Group, R.E. Schlichtman Earthmovers, the Fun Raisers Club, Odell Area Community Enrichment, and the State Bank of Odell.

Hometown Connections 2017

My name is Kailee Rupprecht and with your donation I was able to attend the Boston Youth Leaders Medical Congress last summer in Boston, MA. I can't begin to describe how life changing this event was for me! I met some amazing names in the field of medicine and found that veterinary medicine is my true calling! I was able to see a live surgery of a hip replacement being done at Harvard and was personally able to meet many young science prodigies who share my same interests! It was an amazing and truly unforgettable experience! I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to partake in this opportunity and I hope I am able to give back to our community as a Large Animal Veterinarian some years down the road!

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The Diller Community Foundation was happy to give a grant to help with camper pads in the Diller Park. The grant assisted in adding five new camper pads and updating sewer and water to the existing pads. There are now a total of twelve camper pad sites available, seven of the sites having 50 AMP electrical and five with 30 AMP electrical. Internet and cable are available from Diode Communications. Reservations can be made by calling Diode Communications at 402-793-5125. There is still time to book yours for the Solar Eclipse viewing.

The 2017 season is the third season for the Bullets Shooting Stars. Bullets Shooting Stars began in 2015 as a Leadership Beatrice project and provides boys and girls ages 5-18 with a wide range of disabilities the opportunity to experience the fun and emotional development of playing in an organized baseball league. The Beatrice Bullets baseball teams partner with the Shooting Stars to provide on-field assistance, modeling, and safety.

This has been a wonderful, mutually-beneficial partnership that has a positive impact on both the Bullets players and the Shooting Stars players.

Registration is free and shirts and hats are provided for free for the Shooting Stars players. There were 14 participants in each of the first two years of the program, but that number has grown to 20 participants for the 2017 season and includes students from Beatrice, Hebron, Pickrell, Dewitt, Plymouth, Diller, Odell, Barneston, and Fairbury. The league has had two or three Diller-Odell students participate each year. The $300 foundation grant paid for new helmets in 2016 and in 2017 funded new bats, a couple of spare gloves, medals for the end of the season, and background checks for on-field personnel.

Hometown Connections 2017

Page 12

Post Prom Party a Huge Success

On April 1, 2017, the juniors and seniors along with their dates and school faculty of Diller-Odell High attended the Junior-Senior Prom at the Diller Opera House. A beautiful night of dining and dancing started out the evening. At the strike of midnight, approximately 60 princes and princesses hopped in their carriages and headed to the elementary school for the post prom party where they traded their ball gowns and tuxedos in for gym attire.

The early morning hours started out with “Hamster Ball” races. Each student got the chance to step inside a giant aired-up hamster ball and navigate around a track of cones in the gym. At the same time, other students slipped into giant sumo wrestling suits and tried their luck at a wrestling match. These activities were fun for the kids and even more entertaining for the spectators. Throughout the night (or morning hours) there were minuteto-win-it games going on up

on the stage. From stacking cups, flipping pencils into cups, or stacking sugar cubes on a popsicle stick, the kids could try their luck at all the games.

The “Main Event” of the party was the Dodge Ball Tournament. Every student drew a colored headband to decide teams. Two teams would go head to head per

match in a single elimination tourney to get to the champion dodge ballers. Definitely some serious competition with bragging rights on the line here.

Survey Says…..To cap the night off, there was a family feud style game to win prizes. Two kids’ names would be drawn to go head to head in a fun question. The first person to hit their bell got to answer the question and hope it was the best answer.

If it wasn’t the top answer, their opponent got a chance at the question. The winner got to choose a prize off the prize table from Scheel’s and other gift cards to cold cash to TV’s and printers. The Post Prom Committee was able to purchase these fun prizes with donations from local businesses.

Thank you to all the junior and senior parents for planning and working stations for a fun filled Post Prom Party. Thank you to all the businesses that donated whether it was food or prizes or cash to purchase prizes.

We could not have put on this drug-free activity without the help of all of our contributors including the Diller Community Foundation Fund.