Sept. 24, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. – Viroqua residents gathered on Sunday at Eckhart Park for an evening of reflection, fellowship and quiet solidarity. The event was organized by local businessman Steve Campbell, who said the idea came from a deep desire to counter the division he sees online and in everyday life.
“I felt this calling,” Campbell said. “This urge to try to bring something good to this town, try to bring something good to this world.”
Campbell emphasized that the event was not about politics or ideology. It was about seeing one another as human beings.
“I think people often have this question of what is this, what are you doing,” he said. “And for me it seemed very simple. It was try to get people of all diverse backgrounds, wherever their political views lie, and have them get together and be able to see one another in their true humanity.”
He said the idea was sparked by a moment of reflection while listening to a local radio show.
Campbell said he wanted to create a space where people could simply be together, without judgment or debate.
“We live in a world that often asks us to pick sides, to judge quickly, to speak louder than we listen,” he said. “But tonight is different. Tonight is about slowing down, lighting a candle and remembering that we’re all human and that we rely on one another.”
He spoke about the hesitation he once felt when comparing his ideas to others in the community.
“I know I’ve had ideas of these things to do before in the past, and I didn’t do them because I see these other human beings doing these things that to me seemed so much better or so much bigger,” Campbell said. “And it just hit me when I was thinking about this. I just need to do something.”
He encouraged attendees to choose compassion over confrontation, especially in online spaces.
“Hopefully we can get a reminder that the next time you’re scrolling through Facebook and you see a post of someone that you may disagree with, you can just scroll on by without having to interject and put your input on it,” he said.
Campbell closed his remarks with a call to kindness and solidarity.
“We have no idea what the person next to us is carrying,” he said. “We don’t know what they’ve lost, what they’re hoping for, or what kind of day that they’ve had. But we do know this. Every one of us is worthy of kindness, and every one of us belongs here.”
“This gathering isn’t about politics or beliefs,” he said. “It’s about fellowship. It’s about solidarity. And so remembering that we are stronger, not when we agree on everything, but when we choose to care for one another despite our differences.”
“Thank you for being here,” Campbell said. “Your presence makes the world a better place. Thank you for being the change.”
Longtime Viroqua resident Pete Walby said he came to the event because it reminded him of the kind of community he grew up with.
“Well, to be honest with you, I was shaving one morning and I was listening to Gary Gilbertson’s old time show,” Walby said. “He interviewed Steve and Steve’s the tall one. I’m the short one. He’s six foot five. I’m five foot six. And I’ve known Steven since he was a little, little boy because his mother worked at the radio station with us. Eckhart Park has been a special place for me for 83 years and that’s how long I’ve lived. For the greater share of that time, we would come over to the park and play.”
He recalled summer concerts at the old bandstand and evenings spent on blankets and lawn chairs.
“It just became a really neat place to be,” Walby said. “And I thought, why not come over and just see what this is all about.”
Walby said he was moved by Campbell’s concern for the community and the spirit of the gathering.
“It’s not a big crowd, but small things build into big things and they become more and more significant in the community,” he said. “We’re not trying to beat each other the way it seems to be happening in a lot of places in this country.”
He said he believes events like this can help turn things around.
“Yes, I do,” Walby said. “I think it takes positive people caring about each other and that is the first step in getting us back to some semblance of sanity in this country.”
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