Animal lovers have the opportunity to meet, pet and feed a variety of unique furry and scaled friends Friday in Seymour.
After a successful visit last week, Zoo’Opolis Exotic Petting World in Columbus is returning to Harmony Park with an assortment of wildlife, including bunnies, guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, a hedgehog, a Russian tortoise, prairie dogs, Bengal kittens, designer puppies and a skunk.
This time, the event will serve as a fundraiser for Project Lifesaver, a program operated by the Seymour Police Department.
Project Lifesaver is a national program that equips law enforcement agencies with the technology to quickly locate children or adults with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, dementia or Down syndrome who have wandered away from home or their caregivers.
Admission is $5. There also will be a bouncy house for kids, rock painting and special guests Mickey and Minnie Mouse from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Families are invited to stay and enjoy live music by PB and J from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sponsors include The Brooklyn Pizza Co., Goecker Building Supply and Unlocking the Spectrum.
All money raised will go to purchase transmitters that are provided to families enrolled in Project Lifesaver. The transmitters, which cost $350 each, are worn around the client’s wrist or ankle and emit a tracking signal. The receivers cost $1,100.
If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies a Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are located within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.
Currently, there are 11 individuals signed up for Project Lifesaver in Jackson County.
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What: Project Lifesaver Fundraiser featuring Zoo’Opolis Exotic Petting World
When: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. The band PB and J will perform from 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Harmony Park, next to The Brooklyn Pizza Co., 753 W. Second St., Seymour
Cost: $5 admission. All money to benefit Project Lifesaver.
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