GATES, Neb. — A longtime Custer County gathering place will once again bring people together this weekend as the Gates Community Center hosts its annual reunion dinner and fundraiser on Sunday, June 7.
Troy Smith, who serves on the Gates Community Center board, said the event is open to anyone with a connection to the former Gates school, the surrounding community, or simply an interest in local history.
“We invite anyone to come, whether they are a past student at Gates, a teacher at Gates, have any ties to the community, or just have an interest,” Smith said. “Anyone is welcome.”
The meal will feature pork tenderloin and will be followed by the community center’s annual meeting. Smith said the dinner has become an important yearly tradition, serving both as a reunion and as a way to help support the upkeep of the building.
There are no advance tickets required. The meal costs $7 for adults, with a reduced rate for children. Youngsters under five can eat for free.
Smith said the money raised will help the board continue maintaining the facility, including future work that may be needed on the gym roof.
“We’re looking ahead,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to do something about the roof on the gym, and so we do need to be diligent about collecting a little money when we have the opportunity.”
While the Gates community is marking 100 years in 2026, Smith said the area’s history stretches back much further. Stillman Gates homesteaded in the area around 1878, helped establish the post office, and later built the first school in 1882. The school was first made of sod before a frame building was constructed. The school moved to its current location in 1920, and the current brick building was built in 1937.
For Smith, preserving the community center is about more than keeping a building standing. He said it is about keeping rural connections alive.
“We’re losing a sense of community, I think,” Smith said. “Even farmers and ranchers are more independent than they once were. They used to help one another more, just as a matter of routine with planting, harvest, working cattle, that sort of thing.”
Smith said events like the reunion dinner give people a chance to reconnect, share memories, and keep local history from fading away.
“Rather than lose that sense of community, we try to have some activities there and relive some old memories, and remember some good times from the past, and strengthen those local bonds,” Smith said.
The community center remains active today, hosting youth groups, church groups, basketball, volleyball, family reunions, funeral dinners, wedding dinners, and other local gatherings.
Smith said the goal is to keep the building available for as long as it continues to serve the area.
“Indefinitely is how long we’d like it to last,” Smith said. “As long as people are interested, and as long as it’s useful to people in the community, we want to keep it available.”
Smith also credited those who helped organize the recent Gates Fun Day, including Ben Goodner, Christy Trumbull, Rachel Evans, and several others.
“They did a lot of work, and we had a good turnout,” Smith said. “I think fun was had by all.”
The Gates reunion dinner will be held Sunday, June 7, at the Gates Community Center.
Listen to the full interview here:
