A few minutes before 11 a.m., a line of parents wait patiently at the Jackson Zoo admission gate with their children in tow. The morning starts out damp, but cool for a July weekend in Mississippi thanks to overcast clouds, as families pour from the front entrance and down the curved walkway, leading them directly to a circle of tent stations set up with smiling volunteers and large bathtubs. of Blue Bell ice cream.
In addition to unlimited ice cream while supplies last, the Jackson Zoo summer fundraiser featured a number of activities for kids and families, including water slides, bounce houses, face painting, animal encounters and much more. Photo courtesy of The Jackson Zoo
The Jackson Zoo, a staple in the West Jackson community for over a centuryrenewed a 25-year tradition, “The Blue Bell Ice Cream Social with the City with Soul,” on Saturday, July 16, 2022. The event honored Mississippi’s military and first responders with a fundraiser to give support the “reZOOvenation” of the Jackson Zoo. including generous donations from Blue Bell and Visit Jackson. All funds raised will go towards animal acquisitions and future exhibits.
“We are very excited to bring this type of event back to the Jackson Zoo’s annual schedule,” said Ison B. Harris Jr., director of parks and recreation for the city of Jackson, in a news release prior to the event “We are always expanding the number of quality opportunities for families to get out and enjoy themselves and their city. This event is not only fun, but also allows people to see what we have achieved, giving them the opportunity to support us as we continue to move forward.”
Available Blue Bell flavors were Homemade Vanilla, Cookies N’Cream, Birthday Cake, Happy Tracks, Dutch Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Rocky Road, Triple Chocolate and Orange Sherbet. Volunteers, which included members of the US Armed Forces, Mississippi police and fire departments, and several media organizations, including the Mississippi Free Press, among others, also served cotton candy and watermelon slices .
The zoo featured animal encounters from the JZKeepers, exhibits from Crake’s Academy of Kung Fu and Boxer’s Rebellion, performances from Inky the Clown, SnapHappy Face Painting, bouncy bounce houses, a water slide, a splash pad and more.
Food trucks and other vendors also parked on site to sell their wares to attendees.
The Jackson Zoo set a goal of 500 guests, but Jacksonians and other visitors exceeded those expectations, with approximately 950 people purchasing tickets to enter the zoo that day, amounting to about $3,500 in proceeds raised by in the animal exhibition fund.
In 2019, the Jackson Zoo (2918 W. Capitol St., Jackson) temporarily closed to the public as management transitioned to the City of Jackson Parks and Recreation Department. Adapting to the outdoor spaces, the zoo opened to the public during limited hours and capacity on Saturdays and Sundays under the safety protocols of the COVID-19. Zoo hours have since expanded to Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about The Jackson Zoo, visit jacksonzoo.org.
Photo Gallery: Blue Bell Ice Cream Social
The Jackson Zoo partnered with Blue Bell Creameries to host a fundraising event on July 16, 2022 in Jackson, Mississippi where volunteers served ice cream to visitors. Photo by Jamie Jones
Mississippi Free Press freelance writer Malcolm Morrow (right) served milk chocolate ice cream to many parents and children at the Blue Bell Ice Cream Social at the Jackson Zoo on Saturday, July 16, 2022. Photo by Chelle B.
Tiara Jackson (left), Mississippi Free Press freelance writer, and Azia Wiggins (center), MFP deputy editor for voices and special projects, serve watermelon to visitors at the Jackson Zoo on Saturday, July 16, 2022, in Jackson, mississippi Photo by Jamie Jones
A young boy enjoys his free scoop of chocolate ice cream after waiting in line with his parents at the Blue Bell Ice Cream Social at the Jackson Zoo on Saturday, July 16, 2022. Photo by Chelle B.
Inky the Clown performed at the Jackson Zoo fundraiser on July 16, 2022, where he juggled, told jokes, gave away stickers and more. Here, he sets the stage before his show. Photo by Jamie Jones
Tiara Jackson (left), fellow Mississippi Free Press freelance writers Mike McDonald (front) and Malcolm Marrow (back) and MFP Assistant Editor Azia Wiggins (right) serve up milk chocolate ice cream during the morning shift of the Jackson Zoo fundraiser on Saturday, July 16, 2022. Photo by Jamie Jones
For the Jackson Zoo’s Blue Bell Ice Cream Social on July 16, 2022, a portion of the day’s ticket sales went to the zoo’s animal exhibit fund. Photo by Chelle B.
Skyhawks, a youth sports franchise that offers skill-based camps, after-school programs, classes and sports leagues for kids up to age 14, manned a bubble tent at the Jackson Zoo’s Blue Bell Ice Cream Social fundraiser. Photo by Jamie Jones
Children who visited the Jackson Zoo during the Blue Bell Ice Cream Social on July 16, 2022 were able to beat the heat in the zoo’s “splash zone.” Photo by Jamie Jones
Source link
