The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
ZOOFARI ADVENTURE
Families stroll through creature displays staged by neighbors for joy of children
An opportunity to take a stroll outside March 27 was met with a host of animals poised on chairs, blow-up lawn creatures and animal chalk drawings at a “zoofari” neighborhood walk in Avon Lake.
The walk featured 25 to 30 houses and condominiums in the Landings neighborhood along Arbour Road, Spinnaker Drive, Captains Galley and
Admirals Way from 10 a.m. to dusk, free for families to stroll and take in the animals.
Sara Troyer, a member of the neighborhood and organizer of the event, said she saw another community host a similar event and posted on the Landings Facebook group to see who may have been interested in participating in the event.
“This is great. We appreciate that our neighbors started this.”
— Kara Blackburn, 36, Avon Lake
Troyer said a lot of children live in the neighborhood and the response from others was overwhelming.
“It’s just a way to still stay connected while having to live apart,” she said. “It gets everyone involved in something to do to get outside of the house.”
She said the fact that the event was accessible to the community and free to participate was a huge necessity in the times lived in today.
“(It’s) a no cost activity,
because that’s the other thing, is that some people are suffering financially,” Troyer said.
The Blackburn family, which lives on Captains Galley, also participated in the event and placed a few stuffed animals on chairs outside of their house.
Kara Blackburn, 36, said her daughters Lacey, 4, and Willow, 2, enjoy walking and liked to also check out their neighbors’ safari set-ups.
“This is great,” Blackburn said of the event. “We appreciate that our neighbors started this.
“It gives us something to do to get outside and be active during this time, and it definitely shows the community support, that we’re in this together.”