Last week, The Gazette  reported on the progress of the Eugene B. Casey Education and Events Center at the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation.

The new 5,100 square foot building will open the door to opportunities for those who frequent the memorial on field trips or just wish to have a nice space to host a large event.

I remember taking a field trip years ago when I was a young student to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation. I believe we were unfortunate enough to have spotty weather during our trip, however, we were able to get through the day.

I can only imagine the strain it must cause when officials approve a field trip for the students and in some cases already make the trip to the location, only to be met with inclement weather.

The Eugene B. Casey building will eradicate a lot of the weather worries that go along with planning outdoor trips for students. “This building will allow us to carry on living history with the approximately 2,000 students that visit this historic site yearly – no matter the weather,” said Visitor Center Associate and Gift Shop Manager Bonnie George. “We are currently at the mercy of Mother Nature and in the past have had to cancel or postpone living history because of weather conditions.”

The Foundation may even see an increase in area schools visiting the grounds due to this fact.

While the building will provide a wonderful opportunity to young students in the county and surrounding areas to visit any time of year, there will also be an increase in space for residents who wish to utilize the building for their own private events. Oftentimes, individuals may have to book large scale venues outside of the county due to size, space and/or availability issues. The Eugene B. Casey building will open up one more potential avenues for residents to utilize local resources in Charlotte County.

Italia Gregory  is community editor of The Charlotte Gazette. Her email address is Italia.Gregory@TheCharlotteGazette.com.