CASCADE — On a long, quiet country road in Sheboygan County, a new roadside attraction is slowly becoming popular.
It's called the Wisconsin Hula Hoop Tree. It was created by the Huhn family back in 2020. It's exactly what you think it is - a tree on the side of the road, on the Huhns' property, that you throw hula hoops onto.
“It's just out there to make people happy, really. It's a lot of fun. It's really silly," Peggy Huhn said.
She and her family got the idea after seeing a similar tree on a road trip in Iowa. They loved it so much, they visited the tree again on a subsequent trip. However, when they arrived, they saw that the tree was taken down.
"It got cut down, so (my kids) were devastated. And (they) said, 'Mom, we need to do one in Wisconsin.' And so like (I) was all for it. So right at the end of COVID, the beginning of COVID, the middle of COVID, summer 2020, we started the hula hoop tree," Huhn said.
The tree is in Cascade on County Road F. It's actually on Google Maps. All you have to do is type in 'hula hoop tree' and you'll get directions.
Over the past six years, the tree has slowly become more popular. Some people have even begun writing their name on the hula hoop or attaching notes with wishes.
“I wanted people to pass by and, like, what is that? I want to stop and see if there's some in the grass, throw them up, or bring your own. And, obviously, I didn't put every hoop up there,
Huhn said.
It's really a free-for-all. Everyone is invited to toss a hoop. There are hundreds of them. Bring your own, or after a storm, you'll be able to find hula hoops on the ground to toss back up. However, it's harder than it looks. Just ask Peggy's son, Liam. It took him about several tries to get a hoop on a branch.
“We're making an impact because we have a really small community out here. There's not much to do, so it's good to know that we're making a difference," Liam Huhn said.
While the hoop is just meant to be a silly little thing, there is a bigger meaning. Right after the Huhns created the tree, Peggy was diagnosed with cancer. She had sarcoma in her right thigh. Eventually, her leg was amputated.
“People started asking questions. You know, what can we do? And sometimes, not a lot we can do in moments like that. And I think early on, like May of '21-ish, I was like, you know what you can do is come on out to the hula hoop tree, throw a hula hoop for me. That really started things going, and people really started bringing hula hoops," Huhn said.
In a way, each hoop is one for her. But she doesn't want to be the center of attention. The tree is for everyone.
“My way of really showing other people, even in the heaviest of times, you can just do something fun like this. And it's not that bad. Life is pretty good, you know. So just come out and do it," she said.
You can toss a hoop in her honor. Or, you can just throw a sparkly hula hoop into a tree for fun. It's that serious, and it's that simple. Just how the Huhns want it to be.
Watch the story below to see more of the Wisconsin Hula Hoop Tree...
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