MENASHA (NBC 26) — Menasha's Labor Fest brought neighbors back together Monday for the first major community event since a tornado struck the area in July.
For more than 40 years, Labor Fest has been a celebration of organized labor in Menasha. This year, the event also included fundraising efforts to support families and businesses still recovering from the storm.
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"It's nice to see everybody getting together, taking a moment to enjoy each other's company and remember that we have each other, which has been so reflective every step of the way since this natural disaster," Menasha Mayor Austin Hammond said.
Jason Schmitz, president of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council, spent the year planning the festival but wasn't sure it would happen at all after the tornado. He said many local workers are still facing a long road to recovery, including those in the United Steelworkers union.
"It devastated their building, they were off week three weeks but they're not fully operational, they're looking at another 3 months before they're fully operational," Schmitz said.
The fundraising component of the event was, in Schmitz's words, "basically our way to help out and give back that supports this event."
Some small businesses — including Manderfield's and Coonen's Auto Repair — won't reopen. But for a few hours Monday, neighbors lined the streets, shared a corn roast, and celebrated alongside community leaders.
"It's probably a welcome distraction for many just given the severity of the disaster and the difficulty people are going through. But people seem like they feel our community is in a good spot, we've made good progress," Hammond said.
Community leaders are keeping the momentum going. In early October, Menasha will host "Rally for the Valley" downtown — a celebration of the community's strength and resilience.
