Photo by Jim Tate Stacey and Chuck Broberg stand next to the Little Free Library they have in their front yard at their Cottonwood home. Stacey is the chair of the Coming Home Days committee and Chuck — who built the library box — is also on the committee. Coming Home Days are July 11-13.

COTTONWOOD — For Stacey and Chuck Broberg, it’s all about community.

Stacey is the chair of the 13-member Coming Home Days Committee and Chuck is also on the committee, which wants to grow this annual town celebration, which will be held July 11-13, 2025.

The town logo, displayed on its water towers, reads “It Isn’t ‘Far to Cottonwood,” and they want to make the three-day event something that involves local residents, of course, but also visitors from other area towns.

The city formerly organized the event but passed the torch to the committee this year. They’ve been meeting to finalize an events schedule, which will include familiar events, and some new ones.

“It’s the first year of the Cottonwood Coming Home Days Committee in coordinating the celebration so we’re trying to have events that will appeal to all ages, and add new ones that will be of interest,” said Stacey Broberg.

“We’d like to expand the Friday and. Sunday schedule and build the celebration, and there’s plenty of ideas (from the committee),” said Chuck Broberg.

A final schedule will be posted on then celebration website, Cottonwoodcominghomedays.com, by the end of May, they said. Tentative events include:

• Friday, July 11: Fireworks, Living’ Rich karaoke, bingo, golf scramble, school musical/play, Singing Q’s, axe throwing.

• Saturday, July 12: 5K run, bean bag tournament, American Legion park dedication, ambulance burger feed (lunch),n fireman’s pork supper, splash dance, pedal tractor pull, parade, food pantry food drive, medallion hunt and street dance featuring the band IV Play.

Sunday, July 13: Legion breakfast, cow pie bingo and a Cottonwood Cardinals baseball game.

Chuck is a senior systems administrator while Stacey is a senior loss control technician for North Star Insurance in Cottonwood. He is a Granite Falls native while Stacy is from Dawson. They first met — virtually — when they had an ITV class together in high school. They have two adult children, Terrell and Trinity, who live in the area and work in Marshall.

They’ve lived in Cottonwood for 26 years and have come to appreciate the community, what it has to offer, and its potential. They’ve been past board members for the Lakeview Basketball Association and Junior JO Volleyball.

They’re a well-connected and civic-minded couple who even have a Little Free Library box in their front yard, filled with donated books for all levels of readers in town. Chuck built it, and it’s prominently displayed in their front yard, under the flag pole.

A year ago Stacey came up with the idea of helping the Cottonwood Area Food Pantry by donating $100 and encouraging parade-goers to bring food items to the parade. Word got around the town of 1,138 and more monetary donations came in. By the end of the parade, over $15,000 was donated, and over 1,400 food items collected.

“It worked out well and the community really supported it. We’ll do the same this year,” she said.

As if their lives weren’t busy enough, Stacey has a home business, Broberg Bakery, she started a year ago and which makes a wide assortment of bars, cupcakes, breads, dry goods and mixes, and snack mixes. Chuck is the cookie guy.

Coming Home Days involves many individuals to make it a success, and Stacey is grateful for all the work the committee has done in preparation. It includes, besides the Brobergs: Kat Kosen, Katie Ewing, Tam French, Heather Murphy, Abby McNally, Cal Teske, Connie House, Dee Johnson, Kelvin Listul, Rich Sorbo, and Sami Jo Sorbo.

The Brobergs are looking forward to this year’s Coming Home Days celebration and hope that area residents, too, feel that “It Isn’t Far to Cottonwood” and come to town to enjoy the festivities.