Heather Knox first started going to the Greater Maple Valley Community Center with her young daughter in search of new girl friends.

“I started bringing my daughter to Toddler Time,” Knox said at the Fifth Annual Benefit Breakfast for the community center. “I knew having time around other children would help her.”

Knox said her little girl would hide her face in her neck around new people, but gradually she came out of her shell.

After Knox was diagnosed with cancer she couldn’t get to the community center, but when she was finally able to get out of bed after treatments and surgeries she made it to a play session at a local park.

Cindi Pettigrew, children and family program coordinator at the center, approached Knox who spilled her entire story about cancer including the recent knowledge that it had metastasized.

With Pettigrew’s encouragement, Knox began bringing her daughter to Play and Learn, a preschool program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Knox said these programs have made a difference for her as she battles cancer.

“Returning to the community center turned out to be a great thing,” Knox said. “There are days that I spend here when cancer doesn’t exist even if it’s just for that day. It would be a lot different if I had to do it alone. I get amazing support from the staff and the families here.”

With tears in her eyes, Knox told the crowd what a positive impact the programs at the community center have had on her life.

“To all of you who donate to the community center, thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart,” Knox said.

Knox is just one of thousands of people who make use of the various programs offered for residents of all ages at the community center.

Steve Murray, pastor at Real Life Church, said those who support the center “represent a community.”

“We have a common union here,” Murray said. “When we come to the community center we have this common union that links us together and that’s powerful. Even in the worst of times there’s a gratitude and that gratitude is going to be a blessing of abundance to the community center.”

Executive Director Lynn Roberts said that Maple Valley residents are fond of trees, so it seems appropriate to compare the community center to a tree with the trunk of the tree being the support of the 19 staff members, volunteers, community partners and financial benefactors.

“Those leaves, to me, represent all of the participants in all of the programs who make over 36,000 visits every year,” Roberts said. “The Greater Maple Valley Community Center’s internal health is essential to the well being of the community.”

Roberts said she has a vision for the community center and even for the city that would provide services to nip problems in the bud.

Sean Stewart, who serves on the community center’s board, said the center has a budget of $695,000 for the year with the hope the community could contribute $80,000.

“Today I think you have seen the real definition of community in a very tangible way,” Stewart said. “Whatever you can give we absolutely appreciate it.”

Roberts said after the benefit that many good things came out of the event.

“We received several new multi-year pledges which is a real boost to our efforts,” she said. “Sustainability over the long term is essential, so long term commitments from our supporters are going to have to continue to rise. Giving is definitely down in this economy.”