Arbor Day celebration

Last Thursday morning, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m., local and Century residents joined Mayor Henry Hawkins along with Cathy Hardin and Victor Cisneros of the Florida Foresty Service for the Arbor Day Celebration and second Annual Tree Giveaway and Tornado Commemoration Event at the Century Community Center on Highway 4.

Families and individuals of all ages came to receive the gift of a young sapling to plant in honor of the regrowth and rebuild Century has embraced since the tornado.

"Today also marks the 2 year commemoration of the powerful EF-3 tornado that devastated our community," said Mayor Hawkins. "The tornado's path was 300 yards wide – that's 3 football fields – and continued its destruction for 16.5 miles with peak winds reaching 152 mph. On that tragic day, within a short 23 minutes, many homes were completely destroyed and families left homeless. Thankfully, no lives were lost. Today, if you were to drive through the areas that were affected, you will still see the damage the tornado left behind. But you will also see a community that has helped each other pick up the pieces and rebuild to come back stronger than before. So when you plant these trees, let them also serve as a reminder of the growth of our little town we like to call home – Century, Florida."

Hardin and Cisneros brought three kinds of trees to give out-River Birch, Shumard Oak and Fringe Tree. Each person receive two trees of their choice and were later given a chance to receive more.

"We want everyone to have a chance to get a tree or two," said Hardin. "After the first round, we will give them away until every person has had a chance. Then we will give the rest out until they are gone."

Trees left over were taken to the maintenance shed in Century to be planted around the town in the near future.