Time sure flies when you are having fun. This month McKendree celebrates 26 years of caring for young children and their families in downtown Nashville. We opened our doors in early April, 1990 with seventeen beautiful children and have been busy ever since.

Every year in April, and usually during the nationally recognized Week of the Young Child, we celebrate another year by throwing a party and having a parade. Yep, a parade. Metro police officers escort us around several city blocks and we circle back to the atrium where we all gather to sing happy birthday, and eat cookies before lunch (such decadence!) Please mark your calendars now for Friday, April 15th and plan to join us at 10:30 a.m.; e will head out on our adventure soon after. The whole celebration takes about 45” to an hour.

If you have a little one, bring a stroller. All of the “big kids” will walk with the security of an adult’s handholding. The police will block intersections for us and we will amaze and befuddle the passersby who try to figure out what we are up to. At least one preschooler will ask, “Where is the parade?” and be confused when we explain that WE are the parade.

Watch for a sign-up sheet on the atrium door asking for folks to bring cookies and expect parking details soon. If it rains, we will do something fun in the gym. Pray that it doesn’t rain!