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ARNOLD, NE – Two hundred twenty people were in attendance for an evening of dining, bidding, good conversation, and celebrating Arnold and its successes during the 2025 Arnold Community Foundation Fund’s (ACFF) banquet and auction. The Arnold Community Center is the annual site for the ACFF’s gala highlighting the support of community projects through fund raising and honoring both individuals and organizations who have worked for the betterment of Arnold and its citizens. The event netted $74,861 for the Arnold community. To borrow a phrase from this summer’s successful fundraising, the Arnold Community Foundation Fund continues to “Be a Game Changer” for Arnold and its residents.
ACFF’s newest board member Josh Magill welcomed the crowd as patrons moved through the silent auction offerings, enjoying refreshments provided by Herbie’s Speakeasy of Stapleton. The dinner featuring Surf and Turf, prepared and served by Around the Block Catering of Gothenburg, was underway soon after. Magill called for the first presentation of the evening, a check from the ACFF to the Arnold Cemetery Board in the amount of $14,171.80. The cemetery has planned several upgrades this year, aligning its roads with an official survey and replacing the old north-south roadbed on its east side with asphalt millings. The additional funds from the ACFF will allow the cemetery to install new fencing on the north and complete the south fence.
This year four local entities participated and benefited from a collective fundraising event that incentivized more local giving through matching funds. A total of $108,000 was generated over a summer of giving from combining ACFF’s matching grants and funds raised during Give 4 Custer County, hosted by the Custer County Foundation. The four entities raised nearly $65,000 while ACFF awarded over $37,000 in matching funds, and CCF awarded over $6,500.
The four entities are the Finch Memorial Library, raising/awarded $7,049.29; Arnold Cemetery Board, $10,271.01; Arnold Area Historical Society, $22,362.84; and Arnold Rotary’s Riverview Garage Project, $68,932.08. The Finch Memorial Library plans to use the money to upgrade the lighting, flooring, and walls in its basement. The Arnold Cemetery continues to improve its road alignment and replacement of roadbed with asphalt millings. With its recent donation from the ACFF, the board will replace fencing on the north and complete south side fencing. The Cornerstone Museum will use funds to purchase doors and windows, and the Riverview Garage Project continues to progress on a workable plan for multi-bay garages for its residents.
The Arnold Community Foundation Fund continues to impact Arnold in positive and visible ways. The Carroll Street Courts will see improvements with the pouring of new cement scheduled for the summer of 2026. The ACFF gave $12,000 to support this project. The new Veterans Memorial sits completed at the junction of Hwy 92 and Hwy 40, with flags flying in the stiff wintery wind. Besides funds of $10,000, the ACFF co-sponsored “Not Too Far Distant,” a drama presented at the Arnold School on November 10 along with co-sponsors William A Layton American Legion Post 130 and Auxiliary, Dean K. Leach Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6157, Arnold Public Schools, and Arnold Area Historical Society. The event was well attended and praised by veterans, community members, and school children and featured a local display of veteran clothing, photos and other memorabilia. A community vision session was held for community members and school students in April, and it helped identify key areas for community revitalization. Finally, ACFF employed three dynamic hometown interns in 2025 and benefited from their youthful perspective and energy. ACFF is now accepting intern applications for 2026.
Thank you to the Arnold community for your work and support that allow the Arnold Community Foundation Fund to grow, thrive, and envision an even better Arnold for the future!
