By Nathan Straus
nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com
Animals, candy and safe Halloween fun are on tap for Tyler’s Caldwell Zoo on Oct. 31 from 1-4 p.m. This year, the annual Boo at the Zoo special event will be entirely run by Jacksonville College students.
David Heflin, Spanish professor at the college, said students are ready to take to the zoo and handle thousands of children.
“This is the first time for Jacksonville College to handle the event completely,” he said. “I guess they found us reliable.”
Heflin also said the college has participated in about four of the zoo’s six Boo at the Zoo events.
Nancy Morse, book store director, said there will be game booths, a bounce house, a not-so-haunted house and lots of candy at the zoo.
“If the weather is nice, we could have a huge crowd,” she said. “Around 4,000-5,000.”
Morse said the Halloween activity is a neat, safe thing for children and their families to do Saturday. Everything will be decorated with themed scenery and the volunteers will be ready to tend to the children.
If Morse’s predictions for the number of attending children prove accurate, there will be almost 200 children to each volunteer. About 30 students have committed to attending.
In the past, Jacksonville College students joined with volunteers from other organizations such as Tyler Junior College.
“They like to use our students because they’re well-behaved,” Morse said.
Brian Simon, a freshman psychology major from Jacksonville, said he’s looking forward to his first time volunteering for Boo at the Zoo.
“I’m looking forward to hanging out with the kids and having some fun,” he said.
Simon claimed he volunteered because his parents worked in foster care full time and he saw a chance to do work with children as he had done back home.
“I’m used to ministering and hanging out with kids,” he said.
Margaret Hildebrand, a freshman theater major from Arkansas, said she signed up because of the opportunity to help out with children.
“You get to meet new people and you can invite them to church,” she said.
Stephen Bogan, a freshman music major from Rusk, said he’s going because he wants to visit the zoo and help out with the event.
“I get to represent the school,” he said. “We can be a positive influence around children on Halloween.”
Joshua Findley, a sophomore sports medicine major from Onalaska, is one of the students repeating a volunteer experience at the zoo. He said he first signed up to interact with the little children and because he enjoyed getting involved.
The Caldwell Zoo is at 2203 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Tyler. For more information, contact 903-593-0121 or visit www.caldwellzoo.org.
Boo at the Zoo is free with the price of zoo admission. Halloween costumes, so long as they are not of the scary variety, are encouraged, but not required.
Local News
JC volunteers ready for Boo at the Zoo
- Local News
-
-
County boasts 'pretty good' turnout
At the half-way mark of early voting for the May 29 primary, 1,485 Cherokee County voters turned in their ballots at the polls.
-
Organizations provide summer lunches for students
As schools approach summer vacation, Jacksonville has four locations offering free meals to students through the Summer Food Program.
-
Dome homes
Within the gated community of Lakewood in Cherokee County, homes are being built, ones so unique realtors can count how many they have seen on one hand.
-
Police seek burglary suspects
The Jacksonville Police Department is asking the public for help in identifying two suspects involved in a local store burglary.
-
Details being worked out to bring new industry
A few details are getting finalized before Freedom Equipment moves its headquarters to Jacksonville, creating job opportunities for residents.
-
Jacksonville ISD to discuss changing graduation requirements
After swearing in two new board members, Jacksonville ISD school board will discuss possibly removing health and technology from the graduation requirements on Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building, 1541 Pine St.
-
Fake gun nets same charge as real ones
A Jacksonville man who brought a BB Gun to a fight was charged as if the gun was the real thing.
-
Donations sought to help cover homeless man's funeral costs
Family friends of a homeless man, who was found in poor medical condition on Tuesday, are asking the community for donations to help fund his funeral.
-
Today’s Tops in Texas Rodeo events
• Kids Day at the Park. 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Hazel Tilton Park (Corner of Main and Hwy 79)
• Mutton Bustin'. Signup at 6:15 p.m. – Limited to first 10 entries. Sign up at the Rodeo Ticket Office at the Rodeo Arena.
• Rodeo. 7 pm.Tough Enough to Wear Pink & Cowboy Church. Rodeo Arena
-
Rusk gets first application by business for liquor sales
The city council canvassed the liquor election on Tuesday, officially starting the process for the hard liquor placement on store shelves.
- More Local News Headlines
-
County boasts 'pretty good' turnout
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Remains of Veterans Found in Basement Are Buried
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Serial Stabbings Suspect Guilty of Murder
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
A Few Odd Business Sparks but Europe Gloomy
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes
At Least 25 Dead in India Train Collision
Raw Video: Private Rocket Blasts Off
Boy to Rescuers: 'Do You Have a Plan?'
Doctors and Devotees Debate Barefoot Running
Blacks Seek to Find Their Own Missing
Houston Museum Unveils $85 Million Dinosaur Hall
