Extreme Makeover Treehouse Transplanted

Warwick’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition treehouse is settled at Totally Kids Childcare Center, thanks to the help of a crew from Bay Crane Northeast.

Early Saturday, a crew, crane, and two trucks from Bay Crane Northeast set up in front of Anya Martira’s Warwick home, carefully lifted the treehouse in four sections out of her back yard and onto a large flatbed. Then they drove the treehouse across the city to to be re-assembled at the daycare center on Messer Street.

Martira’s next door neighbors watched the action, some holding smartphones to record the event. The rest of the neighborhood took little notice of the move, except to drive around the equipment.

“It’s not like that one week when they put the treehouse up, I’ll tell you that,” said Dave, Martira’s next-door neighbor.

“It’s being donated, which is good,” said Francis Corcoran, who lives across the street.

Anya Martira moved into the ABC reality show-renovated house about a year and a half ago, but her children were a little too old to appreciate the property’s custom treehouse. So, Martira decided to give the treehouse away.

When she learned her friend, Lori Ribeiro, had a son who attended Totally Kids Childcare Center, Martira told Ribeiro, who was fighting cancer, that she wanted to give the treehouse to the childcare center.

Unfortunately, Ribeiro died before she could see that happen, “So I really wanted it to go to the daycare at that point,” Martira said. Finding a company willing to make the move, which required unusual expertise and equipment, was difficult.

Finally, she said, she decided to ask for help from the media. Shortly after the Warwick Beacon posted its story about their search, Bay Crane Northeast called and offered their services for free.

“Really, we only got to this point because of the media involvement,” Martira said.

Aaron Johnson, an employee with Bay Crane, said he and his fellow workers all volunteered when they heard about the job.

“Would you pass up an opportunity like that?” he said.

Along with Johnson, workers Josh Wilbur, Billy Murphy (who operated the crane) Jimmy Chaves and Rudy Marianose were on hand to move the treehouse.

“I’m really thankful for everybody’s time and generosity,” said Michelle St. Dennis, the owner of Totally Kids Childcare Center.

The treehouse could be ready for children to play in it by Thursday.