Issue loading CPT Category Name

Hi there everyone! Have not used Genesis for years, but I am back and I was working with Genesis Pro Custom Blocks and a CPT following this Studio Press’s blog post . Made:

<?php
/**
 * Events CPT Block
 *
**/
// Create id attribute allowing for custom "anchor" value.
// $id = 'pm-' . $block['id'];
// if( !empty($block['anchor']) ) {
// 	$id = $block['anchor'];
// }

// Create class attribute allowing for custom "className" and "align" values.
$className = 'block-events ';
if( !empty($block['className']) ) {
	$className .= ' ' . $block['className'];
}
if( !empty($block['align']) ) {
	$className .= ' align' . $block['align'];
}

// Variables
$number_of_events = block_value( 'number-of-events' );
$category = block_value( 'event-category' );

// The Query
$the_query = new WP_Query( 
    array( 
        'post_type' => 'event',
        'posts_per_page' => $number_of_events,
        'category_name' => $category->name
        ) 
);

// The Loop
if ($the_query->have_posts()) {
    echo '<div class="dh-events alignwide">';
    while ($the_query->have_posts()) {
        $the_query->the_post();
        
        // Variables
        $categories = get_the_category();
        $first_cat = $categories[0]->name;
        $first_cat_url = get_category_link( $categories[0]->term_id );
        ?>

        <div class="dh-events__tile">
            <div class="dh-game-event__image" style="background-image: url('<?php echo get_the_post_thumbnail_url(); ?>');">
                <a class="dh-event__cat" href="<?php echo $first_cat_url ?>"><?php echo $first_cat; ?></a>
            </div>
            <div class="dh-event__tile-content">
                <h4><?php the_title(); ?></h4>
                <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
                <div class="dh-event__event-author">
                    <img class="dh-event__avatar" src="<?php echo get_avatar_url( get_the_author_meta( 'ID' )); ?>" alt="">
                    <span><?php the_author(); ?></span>
                </div>
                <a class="dh-event__button" href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">Read Event</a>
            </div>
        </div>
        <?php
    }
    echo '</div>';
} else {
    // no posts found
}
/* Restore original Post Data */
wp_reset_postdata();
?>

so far but having

Warning: Undefined property: WP_Error::$name in /Users/jasper/code/site-in-progress/wp-content/themes/theme-in-progress/blocks/dynamic-events/block.php on line 30

Warning: Undefined array key 0 in /Users/jasper/code/site-in-progress/wp-content/themes/theme-in-progress/blocks/dynamic-events/block.php on line 42

Any ideas why the category name is not being found? I selected a category for the block in the editor.. here the json:

{
  "genesis-custom-blocks\/dynamic-events": {
    "name": "dynamic-events",
    "title": "Dynamic Events",
    "excluded": [
      "post",
      "cheat-sheets",
      "sponsors",
      "event"
    ],
    "icon": "notifications",
    "category": {
      "icon": null,
      "slug": "theme",
      "title": "Theme"
    },
    "keywords": [],
    "fields": {
      "number-of-events": {
        "location": "editor",
        "width": "100",
        "help": "",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 100,
        "step": 1,
        "default": "",
        "name": "number-of-events",
        "label": "Number of Events",
        "order": 0,
        "control": "range",
        "type": "integer"
      },
      "event-category": {
        "location": "editor",
        "width": "100",
        "help": "",
        "post_type_rest_slug": "event_category",
        "name": "event-category",
        "label": "Event Category",
        "order": 1,
        "control": "taxonomy",
        "type": "object"
      }
    }
  }
}

and then used the code as shown in block.php Anyone seeing what I am missing?

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