The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center is always full of life; comings and goings, music and art, festivals and celebrations. Every year about this time, we are not just filled with life, we are filled with hopes and dreams, promise and new adventure… we are filled with High School Graduates.

This time of year may just be our most proud; we watch the children of our community break free and re-define themselves as young adults. We watch them enter our doors throughout their lives and gain experiences and education through music, arts, community and sporting events and other Rushmore Plaza Civic Center happenings. Now we watch them enter with a new light in their eyes, a sense of purpose and freedom on their faces and pride in their hearts.

Many will go off to college and come back to this area to start businesses, build homes and families and bring another generation to life in Rapid City. Many will go forth from here to make powerful and lasting impressions on our country and our world. Some will stay here and become the generation upon whose backs, the future of our community rests. Some will leave, and we will only see them again on holidays and for high school reunions or weddings. These will be missed, but are sent forth with the understanding that we gave them a great education and an ideal place to grow up; full of diversity and yet with a solid connection to the wildness of the Black Hills. We have sent them forth with the understanding that what they dream, they can achieve and they know what hard work can do. These young people may be needed in other parts of our world, because they have had the unique experiences and education the Black Hills of South Dakota can offer. It is in that knowledge that we can find peace, even in their departure.

These satin-robe clad young achievers grace our halls in the coming weeks with hearts pounding and heads held high. The have come because they have achieved. The journey upon which they are about to embark may be the very greatest of their lives for they will understand themselves in a whole new way. They will find purpose and meaning, struggle and reward, sorrow and joy. They will create lives for themselves and we will stand by, just as their supportive parents do with pride and hope for them to find that which truly makes them happy.

In the coming days we will let go of a generation, we will throw our arms around them in one last embrace of support and encouragement, and send them on their way to the wide world outside. Chances are they will be back again, to swim in our lakes, have dinner in our restaurants, and bring their children to our parks. They will always carry with them a deep appreciation and respect for their roots and we will always be here, ready to welcome them home.

These bright spirits are our futures, and they leave our stage with diploma in hand and a new flame in their hearts. We will watch as they toss their caps in the air and leave our building – some for the last time – on a journey none can guess.

We are honored to host their celebration here, and give their families a chance to see them revel in their glory. We are proud to see their faces painted with pride. We watch them leave with great dreams for their lives in our hearts. This time, we will watch them go with just a tinge of sadness, and a whole lot of hope.

Every year about this time we say goodbye to a class of our community’s finest young people. And every year we say hello to the future of Rapid City. Congratulations graduates! We are so proud.

May has arrived and summer is knocking at our door. This is the time the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center staff look back and reflect on our busy winter months and the great successes we have made and the exciting events we have coming.
The 2009-2010 season gave us yet another successful Broadway Play Series, a Central Hockey League Championship, a Nationally televised Olympic Skating performance, the King of Comedy, a show that sold out in 38 minutes, 3 High School State tournament events, and numerous other events.

As we take just a few seconds to pause and enjoy the successful season, we quickly change focus to make the 2010-2011 season even better. There are a couple concerts playing in the next month – Skillet and Korn will light up the stages and provide some great entertainment, Graduations will bring in over 10,000 people in one day to the “Center of It All” and see almost 1,000 Rapid City youth close one chapter and begin another. Hills Alive will keep us hopping in July as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. The Broadway Play Series will feature “A Chorus Line”, “Grease”, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Spamalot”. Carrie Underwood will perform in front of a sold out crowd in December. All of that plus Tradeshows, Auctions, Luncheons, Conferences, and Meetings remind us that though we can look back and reflect on our successes, we need to always look forward and keep the Civic Center at the Center of It All!

As we prepare this week to remove the ice from the Ice Arena next week, we want to take a minute to reflect on a fabulous hockey season.

The season began in October and ended with a CHL championship May 4th. The Rapid City RUSH fans were voted the best in the league and attendance was among the highest in the CHL. The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center is honored to see how Rapid City has embraced the team and its’ players and welcomed them into our community. The season gave us some very good games and not so good games, but the fans never gave up.

The Rapid City RUSH became only the 4th team in CHL history to win the President’s Cup in their second season and lifted the Ray Miron’s Presidents Cup over their heads as they skated their victory laps around the ice.

The Rushmore Plaza Civic Center staff and Board of Directors congratulate our partners, the Rapid City RUSH, on their fantastic season and eagerly awaiting the start of the 2010-2011 season.

GO RUSH!