Young children took over part of Cayuga Community College's main lobby Nov. 19 as part of the school's Early Childhood Club's first ever Rock a Thon fundraiser for the child care center and preschool on campus.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Lindsie Flick, top center, vice president of the Early Childhood Club at Cayuga Community College, and Darcy Barber, top right, a club member and teacher's assistant at the college's preschool, rock with CCC preschool students in the lobby of the college during the recent Rock-A-Thon fundraiser. The Rock-A-Thon was organized by CCC's Early Childhood Club to benefit the school's child care center and preschool.
Lindsie Flick, top center, vice president of the Early Childhood Club at Cayuga Community College, and Darcy Barber, top right, a club member and teacher's assistant at the college's preschool, rock with CCC preschool students in the lobby of the college during the recent Rock-A-Thon fundraiser. The Rock-A-Thon was organized by CCC's Early Childhood Club to benefit the school's child care center and preschool.
Throughout the event, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19, club members rocked in borrowed rocking chairs near the president's office. The goal was to keep someone rocking in at least one of the chairs all day. A few times during the day, the children from the child care center joined in the fun and filled the lobby with laughter.
“My favorite part was seeing all the children get involved,” said Darcy Barber, co-chairperson for the rock a thon. “They were up here rocking and one kept saying, ‘I'm making money, I'm making money' as they rocked back and forth.”
Many of the college students walking through the hall stopped and stared at the class of 14 4-year-olds who visited during the afternoon to listen to stories and rock. While students looked confused at the story time at first, most broke into wide grins before they walked away.
Other special guest rockers included the president of the college, Daniel Larson, and Cayuga County district attorney Jon Budelmann, who teaches a class at the college, according to Tracy Smith, the club's president.
People from the community who helped the club get this event together or who have been supportive of us in the past received an invitation to come relax and rock for 15 minutes, explained Patricia Gridley, one of the group's advisors.
“It was the group's way of saying thank you,” she added, “and it was a lot of fun when they joined in.”
“We've been getting mixed reactions,” said Lindsie Flick, the club's vice president and treasurer. “The students have been pretty positive, but there are some people who just look at us like we're nuts.”
If this event can raise some attention for the center, that's great, Flick continued.
“If someone looks confused that's a good time to tell them why the group exists and why it is important to care about children,” she said.
The most important years of a child's life are before they are 3 years old, she has learned.
“If they aren't supported then and taught that education matters, it will hurt them later on,” she said. “We're raising awareness not only for the children downstairs, but for all children. We make sure that when we see a need for something, we pull together and make sure that we do something to meet it.”
This event came together after the group learned that the child care center had its budget cut this year, Gridley said. One of Gridley's friends had success with a similar fundraiser at a nursing home that had the residents rocking on the porch, and it seemed like a good fit for the group.
Community members sponsored the rockers for about $5 for every half hour of rocking, Gridley said. Between the sponsors and raffle tickets for a hand-painted rocking chair, that the group sold for a $1 each they estimated that they had raised somewhere between $250 and $300.
That money will tentatively go to purchase supplies that the child care center needs to supplement science and math activities, said Elizabeth Defurio, the center's director. While she still wants to ask the early child care students where they think the money should go, she believes that is the center's greatest needs.
“This has been a great event,” Flick said. “All of us are here together raising money, and we get to relax and rock all day instead of working.”
“My favorite part was seeing all the children get involved,” said Darcy Barber, co-chairperson for the rock a thon. “They were up here rocking and one kept saying, ‘I'm making money, I'm making money' as they rocked back and forth.”
Many of the college students walking through the hall stopped and stared at the class of 14 4-year-olds who visited during the afternoon to listen to stories and rock. While students looked confused at the story time at first, most broke into wide grins before they walked away.
Other special guest rockers included the president of the college, Daniel Larson, and Cayuga County district attorney Jon Budelmann, who teaches a class at the college, according to Tracy Smith, the club's president.
People from the community who helped the club get this event together or who have been supportive of us in the past received an invitation to come relax and rock for 15 minutes, explained Patricia Gridley, one of the group's advisors.
“It was the group's way of saying thank you,” she added, “and it was a lot of fun when they joined in.”
“We've been getting mixed reactions,” said Lindsie Flick, the club's vice president and treasurer. “The students have been pretty positive, but there are some people who just look at us like we're nuts.”
If this event can raise some attention for the center, that's great, Flick continued.
“If someone looks confused that's a good time to tell them why the group exists and why it is important to care about children,” she said.
The most important years of a child's life are before they are 3 years old, she has learned.
“If they aren't supported then and taught that education matters, it will hurt them later on,” she said. “We're raising awareness not only for the children downstairs, but for all children. We make sure that when we see a need for something, we pull together and make sure that we do something to meet it.”
This event came together after the group learned that the child care center had its budget cut this year, Gridley said. One of Gridley's friends had success with a similar fundraiser at a nursing home that had the residents rocking on the porch, and it seemed like a good fit for the group.
Community members sponsored the rockers for about $5 for every half hour of rocking, Gridley said. Between the sponsors and raffle tickets for a hand-painted rocking chair, that the group sold for a $1 each they estimated that they had raised somewhere between $250 and $300.
That money will tentatively go to purchase supplies that the child care center needs to supplement science and math activities, said Elizabeth Defurio, the center's director. While she still wants to ask the early child care students where they think the money should go, she believes that is the center's greatest needs.
“This has been a great event,” Flick said. “All of us are here together raising money, and we get to relax and rock all day instead of working.”
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