From August 20 to 24, CVI hosted its first annual Hometown Heroes celebration — an event built not around protest but around gratitude. The idea was simple: honor the everyday residents who make the Chippewa Valley a place worth fighting for.

It was quintessential Neighbors Helping Neighbors — the side of CVI that doesn’t make the protest headlines but is a large part of why the community trusts the group. CVI doesn’t just show up when something’s wrong. It shows up to celebrate what’s right.

WEAU covered both the advance and the event itself, where hundreds attended. Hometown Heroes would become an annual tradition — a reminder that civic engagement and community celebration aren’t opposites. They’re the same thing.