Although I was a bit late for the formal ceremony, it featured some of that “good news” we crave today.

The skeptic would say “it’s just a banner,” but it symbolizes a 20-year positive relationship between the Town of Fountain Hills and the Mary Ellen and Robert McKee Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale (always a mouthful!).

For those who don’t meander too often to one of the original residential neighborhoods of Fountain Hills, the Four Peaks area of town features a park, an old school undergoing revitalization and a Boys & Girls Clubs branch facility that serves the entire community.

The McKee Branch decided to throw a small party and recognize the Town of Fountain Hills for its role in supporting and promoting the facility.

Thousands of Fountain Hills children and teens have been through the branch over the years, whether it’s for after-school programs or for summer fun.

It’s a safe and supervised place for teens on certain evenings as well.

My adult boys once played youth basketball there, and the Noon Kiwanis Club has proudly supported the branch in several different ways over the years.

If our community truly wants to continue to attract young families here, it is imperative that both the Town of Fountain Hills and the Boys & Girls Clubs branch continue to offer programming, recreation and other opportunities for children and teens.

It’s been fun and rewarding watching both local government and the branch facility grow and adapt together the past two decades.

Kudos to both for what they do for families, and I would urge them to continue working together to serve the community in a positive and worthwhile relationship for years and years to come.