By By Adrienne McKenzie
Atmore Area YMCA executive director Tammy Graham and staff showed up to work last Thursday to an unexpected surprise.
During a storm that occurred last Wednesday afternoon a large tree limb fell near the YMCA's childcare building, destroying a portion of the fence surrounding the childcare center at the Y. Part of the limb also landed on top of the old field house in the back of the facility.
"It took out part of the fence," Graham said. "It didn't damage the play set or the swing set."
Graham said the extent of the damage was the fence, but until the limb is removed from the facility's grounds, she will not know just how much destruction was done.
"Until the limb is removed, we will not know the extent of the damage," she said.
Graham said that eventually the entire tree will have to be removed from the Y's grounds, but the cost of removing the fallen limb and repairing the fence will have to come out of budget first.
"We had one estimate of $600 to remove the limb," she said. "It will cost close to $1,000 to replace the parts of the fence."
The childcare program at the Y is one that many community members take advantage of. There are approximately 150 non-member child participants that are active in the youth sports and childcare programs at the Y. The day camp program is a summer program for children ages 5-12. It offers different activities in both small and large group settings.
Graham said she is thankful that children were not in the summer program during the storm because it could have both scared or even harmed one of them.
However, children will be the only Y customers that will be affected by the storm's onslaught. The after-school prime time program at the Y is a childcare program for children ages 5-12. It provides a safe place for children to go after school while their parents are still at work.
"Our after school children can't play on the playground until its cleaned up and repaired," Graham said.
Graham said she, YMCA staff and Y customers would appreciate any community support in helping to clean up the mess the storm last week left behind.
The Atmore Area YMCA is a non-profitable charitable organization and a United Fund Agency. For more information on the YMCA, call 368-9622.