When the Thunderbirds won their first game on ShoWare ice Saturday, it wasn’t just a win for the team.

It was a win for Kent.

In fact, if the T-Birds hadn’t scored a goal that night, Kent still would have earned itself a win.

We’ve got a brand-spanking new arena, and one of the hottest entertainment tickets in town – and the Puget Sound in general.

Thanks to serendipitous timing – the T-Birds wanted out of KeyArena – and the foresight of our city leaders, Kent now has a facility that will be a major boost to the local economy for years to come.

The timing couldn’t have been better – with our tanking national economy, Kent is going to need all the boosting it can get.

When I attended the ShoWare Center grand opening, what I saw on the faces of my fellow visitors was excitement. People crowded all different parts of the arena, from the lounge to the locker rooms. They wanted to rub shoulders with the equally pumped Thunderbirds hockey team. You wouldn’t even know people were worried about the economy, with the brisk sales in the souvenir shop and the concession stands.

Kent Economic Development Director Ben Wolters, who with Mayor Suzette Cooke, the Kent City Council and local legislators helped to bring the center to fruition, put it aptly.

“I think we’ve got something the public can be proud of,” Wolters said. “It’s a building full of people enjoying themselves.”

Cooke was ecstatic -– even after experiencing the only wardrobe malfunction of the evening, when the sleeve of her T-Birds jersey got caught on the hockey stick she was swinging at the opening ceremony, which nearly caused her to slip.

“Clearly I have an outstanding staff,” she said. “This came together at breakneck speed. And then the Council, that had to have faith that it would happen. It has been amazing.”

In the coming months, let’s hope that our ShoWare Center will be the economic bright spot it was designed to be. Whether it’s bringing in hockey fans, convention visitors, or concert goers.

We have a lot to be proud of in Kent – and this will be one more jewel in the city’s crown.

Go T-Birds!

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