Editor's Note: The Elmwood Area Community Club held an essay contest this year for the 2026 UFO Days. Elmwood students grades 5-12 were invited to write an essay with the theme "Why I Love Elmwood." The three selected recipients will ride on the UFO Days parade float.

I love Elmwood because of the Shack. You might be asking yourself, Why does a restaurant make her love Elmwood so much? The answer is because of all the stories I hear from my parents about the Shack. My parents went to the Shack in their early 20s with all of their friends. My mom said that the Shack was always safe. My dad said he like the Shack because of the Everything Pizza, or as he calls it, “the Junk Pizza.” But really, they didn’t like the Shack just because of the food, and just because they felt safe (which is still a nice bonus); it was because it was a place where they can just hang out with friends and just be in the moment.

Elmwood does not have a whole lot of places where you can just hang out. You have the park, bars, Cenex, or your own house (but who really wants to hang out at home where your parents or siblings are eavesdropping right around the corner, and will most likely yell at you later). So the Shack was the place to be. You and all of your friends could get chicken strips on pizza (my dad) and just be. It was like a little escape before returning back to small town life, where everyone knows each other and their mother, and somehow everyone is related to each other.

Really what makes Elmwood so great is that neighbors are always there for you. It might not be literal neighbors, but people around you that watch you grow up and support you. I remember when I was really little, my older sisters and I would play outside all the time in the summer, and on days that were really hot our neighbor from across the street would bring Freezies over to us. She did not ask for anything back in return. Even though it was a small act, that is what makes Elmwood so special. All of the people.