By Tina Kitt
    The Wauneta Breeze
    
     Members of the Wauneta community turned out in large numbers for Valley Bank and Trust's hamburger feed Friday night.
     While good food and good company were major draws, showing support for the new medical clinic planned in Wauneta is what motivated the large attendance.
     According to VB&T Vice President Brenda Anderson, approximately 180 people attended the dinner, with enough money raised to take full advantage of the bank's $5,000 matching donation pledge.
     Anderson said $492 was raised through the grill raffle and $4,269 in donations were given Friday night. Additional contributions totaling $600 were mailed in last week bringing the latest round of community donations to the medical clinic to $5,361.
     Add in Valley Bank and Trust's $5,000 matching pledge, and the community is now $10,361 closer to making the new medical facility a reality.
     Noreen Christner was the winner of the grill, donated by Southwest Public Power District of Palisade, and Annette Long was the winner of the barbecue set in the raffle drawings.
     Members of the Wauneta Community Foundation, the group spearheading fund-raising efforts for the new clinic, has set a goal of $500,000 to construct, furnish, equip and endow the new facility.
     This recent round of donations brings the total amount of donations and pledges to nearly $220,000.
     Last week a grant application seeking $250,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding for the new clinic was submitted on behalf of the community by Ann Burge of Southwest Nebraska Community Betterment Corporation. Grant awards will be announced later this year, at which time Wauneta will learn whether they were awarded the funding.
     The local foundation kicked off efforts to have a new clinic built after an engineering study showed a new building would be more cost effective than addressing the myriad problems with the existing clinic.
     A follow-up community survey showed a strong desire among Wauneta residents to have the new facility constructed as well.
     Contributions for the new clinic can be sent to: The Wauneta Community Foundation, P.O. Box 335, Wauneta, NE 69045.
    
    Winscot memorial boosts effort
     The family of the late Bill Winscot of Imperial announced Friday that $1,500 in memorial gifts given by friends and family in his honor will be donated to the medical clinic fund. The Winscot family's substantial gift helped the community reach the $5,000 challenge mark set by Valley Bank and Trust.
     Winscot and his wife, Donna, were longtime residents of Wauneta before moving to Imperial where they operated the bowling alley for a number of years before retiring. Bill was active in the Wauneta business community, Jaycees, Boys Scouts and was a member of the Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department, They raised four children in Wauneta: Steve Winscot, Patricia (Winscot) Seidler, Brenda (Winscot) Anderson and Gene Winscot. Brenda Anderson continues to make her home in Wauneta where she is vice president at Valley Bank and Trust.