Junior Auxiliary of Taney County Seeking Affordable Office Space

One local nonprofit organization is feeling the repercussions of the closure of the Branson Tri-Lakes News in a significant way.  When the door to the newspaper closed, it left Junior Auxiliary of Taney County without a space to call home.

“We had an office at the Branson Tri-Lakes News for about three years and had another two years on our lease, beginning September 1, 2026.  We had approximately 600 square feet,” explained JATC’s Sheryl Schiller.  “We were also allowed to use their community room for meetings and activities.  We had already paid our $600 monthly rent to them for August of 2026 and doubt that will be refunded to us.  We were given no notice that we needed to vacate or that they were closing.” 

The Junior Auxiliary of Taney County is a women’s nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the lives of children in the county.  They hold several events for the children in our area throughout the year, as well as various fundraisers to help make those events and JATC projects continue to happen.

One of JATC’s favorite programs is Celebrate Reading.  Said Schiller, “It is a year-round project where members go to low-income housing, as well as CAM, Options, and Boys and Girls Club with a delivery of books that children can take out and bring back and get another book.  But, more importantly, we have Story Time at one or two of the low-income housing locations each month and read a story to children and do an activity about the story with the children.  Each child receives a snack and a book of their own to take home.”

“We will be sending checks shortly to several Taney County students.  We will also have a booth at Grape Stomp in Hollister, where we will provide a couple activities for children and distribute information about JATC for community member,” Schiller noted.

One of the Junior Auxiliary’s biggest fundraising events is their annual trivia event.  “Our major Trivia sponsors this year were Doug Baker State Farm Insurance and Binswanger Glass, but we had numerous businesses donate items for our silent auction.  You can find the entire list on our website, jatcmo.org, on our Trivia page.” Said Schiller.  “We don’t have a date set yet for Trivia 2027, but it is usually the end of March or the beginning of April.  This year will be our 25th Annual Trivia event.”’

Others who sponsor Junior Auxiliary and their events include Mr. G’s Pizza, Belk, Motley Law Firm, Evan Bradley and Associate at American Family Insurance, Mulberry Mill, Michele’s Floral & Gifts, Ozarks Family Vision Centre, and anonymous donor including a former ScholarCare recipient who is paying it forward after receiving help from JATC while in college.  Others sponsor special activities or provide the organization with general assistance such as Central Bank, Table Rok Community Bank, Cole Currier, 417 Consultants and more.  The JATC is also the grateful recipient of grants from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Stanley and Elaine Ball Foundation, White River Electric Trust, Neighbors and Friends of Table Rock Lake, etc.

Junior Auxiliary is always looking for more businesses or individuals who are interested in sponsoring their projects. 

“This organization does a lot to enrich the lives of children in our community,” said Schiller.  “Some of what we do is necessities, some is just a way to encourage children to be the best they can be.  Our motto is ‘Caring Hearts – Helping Hands – Changing Lives’.  We are always looking for new members.  Our members are teachers, businesswomen, housewives, etc.  We are a broad-based group.  Watch for the next informational meeting on our Facebook page, Junior Auxiliary of Taney County.”

Junior Auxiliary is hopeful that someone in the community has the perfect spot for their organization to rent—at a price the group can afford.  “We need storage space, room to work on projects, and an open area for meetings,” Schiller explained.  “We have moved most of our thing into storage at the U-Haul Mount Branson Storage are and have that secured for three months.  We finished the rest of our moving on Tuesday, July 28.”

If you have the perfect office space for JATC, want more information on their organization, or are interested in sponsoring one or more of their projects, please reach out to them at jatcmo@gmail.com.

Published by: Branson Globe, K.D. Michaels, July 31, 2026

JATC 24th Annual Trivia

YEE HAW!  JATC’s Annual Trivia Was A Rootin’-Tootin’ Success!

Junior Auxiliary of Taney County (JATC) held its 24th Annual Trivia Event on March 28.  JATC ladies made the Wild West come alive with a theme of “Saddle Up and Get Those Boots On!”  The theme was carried through by guests and JATC members alike with their Western attire.  There was lots of shouting and visiting the Hoosegow all evening.  If you missed this Trivia, you missed one of the most enjoyable events of the year.

 Guests entered the Old West decorated ballroom at The Thousand Hills Resort Hotel starting at 5:30 pm and stayed until a little after 10 pm.  Emcee Jim Barber in his cowboy hat kept the show going with his one-liners and visiting with the guests, while Music Maestro Mike Cathcart added just the right touch with his background music.

 Photo opportunities were available in several locations.  You could be on a wanted poster, in the jail, or in front of the saloon.  Several teams came up with creative names to carry the theme through such as “The Outlaws”, “The Dusty Trail Thinkers”, “True Grit”, “Trail Blazers of Missouri”, “Tablerock Outlaws”, and more.

 The evening included bidding for almost 90 items in an online auction and an additional 30 items at the Gold Mine.  Signature items were: 1) $3500 Radio Branding/Marketing package from Ozarks Dynacom, 2) Framed painting by local artist Mike Krone, 3) Clean Car for a Year package with 12 Free Wild Blue Carwash passes donated by Benders Body Shop and additional items donated by Binswanger Glass, and more, 4) Kala Elvis Collectors LIMITED NUMBERED Edition donated by Legends in Concert Theatre.

 Lucky winners of the raffle prizes were Brandon Williams ($500 cash) donated by Doug Baker State Farm Insurance; Jane Anderson (Eureka Springs, AR package valued at $800) donated by Binswanger Glass; and Kathie Williams (Mountain Creek Ranch, Aurora, MO package valued at $550.  319 Raffle tickets were sold before the event and again that night.

 Many individuals and businesses sponsored tables including Binswanger Glass, Trimble & Associates, Table Rock Community Bank, Bank of Missouri, Great Southern Bank, Central Bank, Trevor Concrete, Branson- Hollister Lions Club, Mini Circuits, Great American Title Company, and more

 The main event for the evening was a lively trivia contest in which 21 eight-member teams competed to answer eighty questions from categories such as “Chuckwagon Lingo”, “One Word Movie Titles”, “In the Saloon”, and “In the Outhouse”.   After each round a table number was drawn, and all members of that table received a prize.  Also, between rounds there was a mini scavenger hunt where participants were asked to come up with various items such as a coat or vest with fringe on it.  If they were the first person to reach Calamity Jane, they received a prize.  All prizes were donated by Community Businesses such as Culver’s, Binswanger Glass, Track Family Fun Parks, Perennial Arts, and many more.

 “Box of Rocks” took the first prize and will have their team’s name engraved on the plaque that honors all the winners through the years.  “True Grit” took second place, and “Wrong Side of the Bridge” came in third. Each of the winning teams took home fun gift prizes related to the theme. 

 JATC’s 24th Annual Trivia Challenge was chaired this year by Marcia Vander Laan JATC’s major fund-raiser earned approximately $18,000 through table sales, raffle tickets, silent auction items, and donations/sponsorships.  The funds raised through this event are 100% reinvested in our community, supporting a variety of projects aimed at addressing the needs of children and families. A few of the projects include Tender Critters; Santa’s Gift House; College Scholarships for seniors at all four Taney County public high schools when funds are available; School Supplies Winter Refreshment in January for elementary schools with gift cards for classroom teachers to use for special items in their classrooms; Elevate Kids; ScholarCare which includes a scholarship and care packages monthly; Christmas Assistance; Kindness Effect Cards for residents in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living; Halloween Grape Stomp; and Joan Anderson Memorial Scholarship matched by her family.  A list of donors and more information about the event and JA’s projects, can be found on the Junior Auxiliary website JATCMO.ORG, their Facebook page (Junior Auxiliary of Taney County) or via email at jatcmo@gmail.com. 

 JATC also raises money from other events such as Belk’s Charity Days, Mr. G’s Annual JATC Days, Harter House Community Cash, grants, and individual donations/sponsorships. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact us at jatcmo@gmail.com

 JATC is more than a nonprofit organization, it is a group of women united by a single cause and dedicated to helping the children of Taney County.  That’s the magic of JATC.  It was chartered by a group of caring, enthusiastic women in 1998 and continues to grow and thrive throughout Taney County.  Approximately 50 members annually contribute more than 4,000 volunteer hours as they strive to improve the mental, physical, social and emotional well-being of children in Taney County.  Our slogan is “Caring Hearts-Helping Hands-Changing Lives”.