In what is sure to be a busy upcoming weekend in LaGrange, there will be much to do and see, and plenty of reasons to get out of the house and into the community. While this weekend’s main event will undoubtedly be the Dragon Boat Race, we should not forget to look ahead to the future, either.

One future event that will sneak up quickly is the Not Just for Kicks kickball tournament coming up in August, hosted by the First Choice Women’s Center. The event, taking place on Aug. 17, has a deadline of Aug. 1 to sign up, and team slots go quickly.

“This is our second biggest fundraiser that we do, and we have the goal of getting 20 teams to register this year,” said Michelle Thompson, executive director of First Choice Women’s Center.

In its first year, the tournament had 16 teams compete and 17 the next. Thompson said that multiple teams have participated both years. The tournament proceeds go to a good cause, supporting the First Choice Women’s Center, which provides resources to women in the face of an unplanned pregnancy.

Competition at the tournament has been consistently top-notch in the two prior years, and looks to be again this year, as multiple teams compete each year.

“It can get very competitive, but it also serves as a team building exercise for businesses or groups,” Thompson said. “It is a fun time that everyone has together. We work it and volunteer, but we have a great time, too.”

The First Choice Women’s Center offers confidential, cost-free services including abortion information, adoption agency referrals, parenting education, pregnancy tests and ultrasounds on-site, in addition to others. The center’s leaders and workers feel drawn to their work, and set out to help both women and men in the face of challenging, often scary situations.

We have said so before, but for our community to continue to thrive, we need groups and nonprofits doing work such as this. When the opportunity comes along to support these businesses, we should take advantage.