Nearly a year to the day after Hurricane Helene reshaped daily life in the mountains of Western North Carolina, volunteers from Lowe's and the Charlotte Hornets organization traveled to Creston, North Carolina, with one task: to revitalize the Riverview Community Center. This particular multiphase renovation is the seventeenth year of the Hornet's Legacy Project Powered by Lowe's.
More than 100 volunteers from Hornets Sports and Entertainment (HSE) and Lowe's arrived ready to paint, repair and start demo for a place that means everything to the people who gather here. The work kicked off the 2025 Hornets Legacy Project, powered by Lowe's, a 16 year partnership, for a phased renovation that will also update the gym, basketball court, exercise room, and surrounding outdoor spaces.
Hornets players Grant Williams and Josh Green joined Hornets helped paint the gym while volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help pack meals for area families in need. The Riverview Community Center serves as a hub for local residents, including a place to pick up extra groceries. The work served as a reminder that this effort is about care as much as construction.
For Riverview's leaders, the day marked a turning point. Board Chair Steve Trinkle described the pride he wants residents to feel when the gym doors open once again.
"We want to take the investment that has been put in us and put that back into the community and double and triple down on it; rise up, reach out, give back every day beyond the investment in the gymnasium. That is our commitment to the Hornets or to our commitment to Lowe's.
The Legacy Project in Creston builds on a record of shared service. Since day one, Lowe's has backed recovery across the Carolinas with donations of millions of dollars, countless supplies and thousands of volunteer hours, reinforcing its role as a neighbor in times of need. The Hornets, for their part, committed $1 million to the American Red Cross and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
What unfolded at Riverview was about more than facility upgrades. Current Hornets players and alums picked up paint brushes. Volunteers cleared outdoor areas that families will use for enthusiastic gatherings and quiet moments alike.
The renovation will continue into next year, with a full reveal anticipated in spring 2026. By then, the fresh floorboards and backboards will speak for themselves. So will the stories of neighbors who kept showing up, and partners who matched their energy. That is the legacy this project aims to leave behind.
