Charles Crane/MDN Kyra Steele, manager of Runnings in Rugby, cuts the ribbon in celebration of the grand opening of the store on Friday.

The doors at the new Runnings in Rugby were opened to the public for the first time on Thursday, kicking off a grand opening celebration that will run through Saturday.

Kyra Steele, the store’s manager, had the privilege of cutting the ribbon during a ceremony on Friday, and thanked the Rugby community for its support during the transition following the sale of Home of Economy to Runnings in September of last year. .

“From the very beginning we felt welcomed and supported by this incredible community. Your enthusiasm and encouragement have been invaluable on this journey becoming Runnings. We are excited to be here,” Steele said. “I want to thank all of my employees and all the teams that came to help us out. This grand opening is thanks to our commitment and hard work over the past months. We have a great team at the Rugby Runnings, and it shows.”

The rollout in Rugby was one of eight grand openings held at former Home of Economy locations, including Minot, Williston, Devils Lake and Watford City.

Steele said the first day of the grand opening on Thursday morning was very busy as locals got their first look at the new store and its offerings. Steele said the reception from the Rugby community has been gratifying after months of hard work.

“I can speak for the entire company when I say we are proud to invest here and to grow our business with you and for you. We look forward to being a strong community member for years to come,” Steele said.