By Gabbie Burton
Contributing Writer

Tick Tock Early Learning Center in Avondale was preparing to hold their 60th anniversary celebrations in August when a mid-July storm threatened their plans. The storm uprooted a tree outside the center, and little did the staff know how much else was uprooted with it. 

“We had no idea what this tree meant to us,” said Executive Director Susan Kuebler Czerwin. 

The storm on July 16 damaged the outdoor space of the center including the playground and caused a two-day power outage that resulted in about $6,000 in lost food. When Kuebler Czerwin posted on Facebook to share the damage caused by the storm and the loss of the tree, a fuller picture about the tree’s history started to come together. 

In response to the post, Rich Nichols of Bob’s Crane Service – and the son of Connie Nichols, one of the center’s founders -- reached out to offer his services to clean up the playground. Nichols and his crew volunteered their time to clean up the outdoor space, removing “every speck of sawdust,” and debris caused by the fallen tree and branches. He also suggested reaching out to another founder, Sally Lighty, whose husband, Richard planted the original tree 60 years ago when the center was founded.

After hearing about the lost tree and the devastation it caused, Lighty and her husband volunteered to buy a new tree to replace it.

“The playgrounds were designed around this tree, it provided massive shade and a place to gather,” Kuebler Czerwin said. “It was more than just shade though it was a meaningful spot for the center and for the children.”

On Aug. 2, the center held a tree planting and 60th birthday celebration. Current staff, founders and family members, board members and children enrolled in the center all gathered to share memories about the fallen tree and dedicate and plant the new tree and enjoy birthday cake. 

“It was one of the most special moments we’ve shared since I’ve been there,” Kuebler Czerwin said. “This happened and look what came out of it, this beautiful story of support.” 

Community members rallied together to help Tick Tock beyond just the damaged tree. Donations came in, anonymous checks were received in the mail and one community member has even volunteered to make benches out of the fallen tree’s logs. 

“This is how Tick Tock was started 60 years ago, it was a total community effort and here we are now and the same thing is happening to keep us going,” Kuebler Czerwin said. 

The importance of community for Tick Tock Early Learning Center is essential. As a non-profit that provides childcare to children of working families, the center subsidizes tuition, sometimes up to 70 percent, in order to support local workers and their children. The center relies on grants, charitable foundations and donors in order to maintain their mission and provide care to the 95 children enrolled. 

Though the storm’s damage was extensive, the rallying effort of the Tick Tock community has left the center feeling optimistic and supported. 

“Our misfortune has truly turned into fortune,” Kuebler Czerwin said. 

Tick Tock Early Learning Center is located at 1694 Baltimore Pike in Avondale. To learn more, visit www.ticktockelc.org.