At the end of September, The Chamber held its Second Annual Meeting. Headlining the event was the presentation of Bruce Furness, former mayor of the City of Fargo, as the 2012 Legacy Leader. As part of the presentation, I got to help compile a video of several of Bruce’s friends and colleagues talking about how deserving he was. The result was astounding. As one of my dear friends said, “I was thinking during the video how amazing it would be to have lived a life that affected so many people in such an overwhelmingly positive way.  What an example he is for us all!”

Yet as Bruce accepted his award, his words were ones of gratitude to the community that helped him become the person he is: “We, all of us, live in an amazing part of the world.  We have wonderful people who are active and involved in their community. We have low crime rates, great institutions of education and healthcare, quality housing, clean air, open spaces, excellent financial, retail and transportation services, abundant recreational and cultural activities and, increasingly, well-paid employment opportunities … We are also a highly compassionate people willing to assist others and contribute to the general good of the entire region.”

His speech got me thinking, once again, but how lucky I am to live in a community like this. Because, in reality, this is the community that has given me endless opportunities to grow and transform into an engaged individual and one day, hopefully, a community leader. In the past month, I have had the chance to participate in many great events put on by even greater organizations:

• The Summit to Prevent Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence, put on by the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center of Fargo-Moorhead
• 2012 United Way of Cass-Clay campaign kick off
• Planning meetings for the 2013 Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity ReStore Art Show and Silent Auction
• Miles for Max, put on by one of my very own 35 under 35 ladies, with proceeds benefitting Sanford Family Bereavement Fund and Children’s Weekday Ministries:
  

  My lovely 35 under 35 ladies and I participating in Miles for Max!

• The kickoff to the Lorentzen Center for Faith & Work at Concordia College
• Fall Festival at Rheault Farms with my boys

These are just a few of the many great events and organizations that make up the heartbeat of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo community. I encourage you to get involved in many of them and experience what a loving, wonderful community, this is.