Seaside Heights is undoubtedly one of New Jersey’s busiest and most popular beachside towns. And now there’s something else to celebrate: The last piece of the iconic boardwalk is finally in place. A ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Gov. Chris Christie’s wife, Mary Pat Christie, was held to honor the $3.6 million effort to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.

During the ceremony, The Coca-Cola Foundation presented Christie with a $500,000 check for her charity, The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. The fund has raised $37 million so far and is focused on helping homeowners rebuild. During the event, Christie also noted the beverage company was one of the first companies to offer help in the aftermath of the historic storm.

And while much of the boardwalk has been operational since May, the symbolism of the event served as a reminder to both residents and visitors that you can take the boards out of the boardwalk, but you can never take away what the boardwalk means to the New Jersey.

What was the most encouraging aspect of this event? Many of the attendees were there just to spend the day at the beach, and that’s the most important goal of all for the entire rebuilding effort.