PENDER - Pender, Nebraska has a population of just over 1,100.

But the county seat of Thurston County will see that number temporarily and exponentially increase in a few weeks.

The 25th annual Nebraska Cattlemen's Ball will be held June 2nd and 3rd just east of town.

The Weborg family will be hosting the massive fundraiser at their farm. They say it takes a small army of hundreds of committee members and volunteers to host the ball, and the response has been tremendous.

"It's been a moving experience," says host Craig Weborg. "We got together a year ago, started lining up committees, and those committees reached out to more people and volunteers. We have probably 500 to 1,000 people involved. It's really fantastic."

Over 4,000 people are expected to be on hand for the two-day event headlined by a concert by country music superstar Josh Turner. For the residents of this small rural northeast Nebraska town, it's a bigger undertaking than they've ever been a part of. But they say they're up to the challenge.

"One of the neat things to see through the whole process is how everybody comes together," says Cattlemen's Ball General Board Chair Bruce Wichman. "It's such a big project. But the community itself and greater northeast Nebraska have been incredible." 

The Weborgs say staging a concert and preparing to quadruple the population of their hometown while also still operating their 25,000-head cattle operation has been a delicate balancing act, but one that's been fun to take on.

"We set aside some acres for this for parking and a lot of space for campers," says Weborg. "We have multiple camping spots. It's been good."

There's a little added pressure this year. It's the silver anniversary of a fundraiser that's already provided over $17 million to the Buffett Cancer Center. Organizers say they're ready, adding the response from the region has been overwhelming.

"It's going to be a great event," says Wichman. "I think the one thing that makes it unique is we're about sold out of tickets already. Ticket sales have gone faster than they ever have from previous balls by our understanding. That's exciting, and I think that's just northeast Nebraska."

More information on the event itself, including how to get involved, can be found on the Cattlemen's Ball website.