Recently in Creston, North Carolina the Riverview Community Center sounded nothing like the empty, echoing space it once was. Instead, laughter bounced off the walls, sneakers squeaked on the shiny floor and a basketball thumped steadily at center court.
A little more than a year ago, Hurricane Helene left this building under nearly five feet of water.
Now, the gym is full again.
Middle schoolers huddled close as their coach shared tips and encouragement. Not far off, a bright teal and purple mascot clapped along, coaxing grins from kids who, just last year, saw their favorite hangout closed by the flood.
For folks in Creston, this reopening is about more than a shiny new floor. It’s about getting back a place that holds their everyday lives together.
“This is where people come to be together,” said Steve Trinkle, board chair of the Riverview Community Center. “When we lost it, we lost more than a building.”
Now, as part of the Hornets Legacy Project with Lowe’s, that gym has reopened. But here in Creston, it’s not just another project. It’s about coming back from loss.
After the storm, neighbors rolled up their sleeves, scraping mud from the floors and saving whatever they could. The gym, once buzzing with youth programs and local events, sat quiet. A daily reminder of what was missing.
Now, it’s a sign of what’s come back.
At the ribbon-cutting, more than a hundred neighbors filled the gym. Some had been there for the cleanup, others had counted on the center before the flood, and many brought their families to celebrate.
Kids were the first to take it back.
That afternoon, the court filled up for a Hornets Hoops clinic. Kids ran drills, cheered each other on, and just enjoyed being together. For them, the gym isn’t just a symbol. It’s a place to play, to meet up, and to feel like things are right again.
In a rural place like Creston, where shared spaces are few and treasured, that feeling of normalcy means everything.
The updates went beyond the court so the center can stay busy all year. Locals put it simply: the center is back in action.
The result is a place that looks brand new but still feels like home.
There’s still work to do. Western North Carolina is still rebuilding after Helene. But inside Riverview, you can see the progress in the people showing up.
