Those fortunate enough to call Helena home know what a wonderful place it is to raise a family, start a business, worship and find a truly special sense of community. They know what Money Magazine has discovered in recent years, naming Helena one of the 100 best places to live in America.

But several hundred members of the Helena community discovered something which Money Magazine has yet to see: Helena’s new multipurpose Community Center. The approximately 36,000 square foot facility offers community meeting rooms, a basketball court, and a walking track with a design approach which sought to offer something for virtually everyone in the community.

Members of the City Council, Mayor Penhale, the Helena Parks and Recreation Department and members of the community have worked for years to make the new community center a reality. Their vision, it would appear, was to create a facility that extends the sense of community in Helena while, through bricks and mortar and lots of hard work, making the city an even better place to call home. They accomplished that and much, much more.

New youth leagues for basketball and volleyball, previously impossible due to the lack of a facility to host games and practices, now are in the planning stages. Such leagues will offer children and their parents countless hours of enjoyment while providing an environment in which to learn valuable life-lessons.

Citizens and leaders in the City of Helena have long had much for which to be proud. Now, with the opening of their new community center, they have again raised the bar for what makes living in the city and Shelby County such a special experience.