"The Hayfield Chamber of Commerce is just great. There's not a cotton picking thing that you ask the board members for help that they won't do," says Nancy Leckness, the coordinator of this group since 1988.

The Hayfield Chamber of Commerce has seven board members. The current president is Tom Monahan of Uncle Monty's Restaurant and Bowling Lanes. But the person with her finger on the pulse of what is happening in Hayfield is Leckness. She and her husband, Don, farm east of Hayfield. Don has lived in Hayfield all his life. Leckness grew up in Dodge Center. They have lived on their present farm since 1958.

Leckness became involved with the chamber when her friend, Bettie Becvar was on the board. Becvar asked Leckness for help with activities.

"I said I'd do it and now it takes up a lot of my time because I want it to. If I had to sit still I'd go crazy. This is my responsibility. Hayfield is my town," Leckness said.

Leckness was on the planning committee for the first Hey Day celebration. That was back in 1988. She and Kevin Limbo had the brainstorm for Hey Days. At the time, there was no money for a town celebration.

"Everyone said it was going to fail," Leckness recalled. "It flew, and now everyone looks forward to Hey Days each year. We started everything local with area groups providing food. I got off the Hey Day committee after 10 years of service. New blood has taken over and they are doing just fine."

Right now Leckness has been involved in the annual Hayfield Easter Coloring Contest. Leckness and volunteers distributed a graphic to be colored by preschool ages to sixth graders. Prizes are awarded to each grade level. Each year Leckness gets judges for the contest. She asks six couples that have no children that are in the age categories. More than 300 children entered the contest this year.

"I am very secretive in who I pick to be my judges. Not even the chamber knows who I ask. The contest is judged now and all the pictures are hanging in businesses in town," Leckness said.

The coloring contest pictures are displayed at the Hayfield Library, Nelson Gas, SHAPES, Citizens State Bank, Hayfield T-Shirts, NAPA and My World.

"Our next project in town is the Main Street planting. This year there is no city-wide clean up as there is no money for it," Leckness said.

The Hayfield all-city garage sale is scheduled for the first Saturday in June. This is a big event in town as a flyer is distributed with what the businesses are promoting on this day with out any cost. All those that are holding a garage sale are charged $5 for participating.

"I think that Hayfield is the neatest town. We had a benefit recently for the father of a family afflicted with cancer. The town raised $10,000 for his medical bills. Everyone that it is capable is willing to help in this town," Leckness said.

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com