Thousands flock to zoo for fun in the sun and healthy activities

14th May 2012   ·   0 Comments

By Zoe Sullivan
Contributing Writer

Roughly 3,500 people strolled around the live oak tree shaded Odenheimer Complex at Audubon Zoo, opened in 1928. An elegant fountain built served as a hub for a wheel of educational and entertainment options, including the martial art of tae kwon do, an air-filled tunnel palace run by the Saints, and healthy lifestyle suggestions.

Children of all ages were engaged by the storm troopers and other Star Wars characters who roamed the event, while those who were hungry had a plethora of food options including wraps, pizza, ice cream, and cupcakes. Some zoo keepers also mingled with the crowd, carrying live animals such as an iguana and an owl. The keepers allowed children to pet the animals and talked to them about the animals’ ordinary behavior.

Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch chatted with zoo goers at a table sponsored by Hershey’s. Finch recently authored the book, Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big and Believe in Yourself. Finch’s book describes her efforts to overcome being written off as “not a champion.” Attracted by this powerful role model, women from the winning Xavier Univ­ersity basketball team lined up for Finch’s autograph and the opportunity to speak with her. The hoops stars were also volunteering at the event, playing basketball with young children in a special court.

Keldra Hall, a senior on the team, told The Louisiana Weekly, “It’s just nice to see female athletes finally getting recognized be­cause…it seems like there’s not enough support from America — the world — for female athletes, so it’s an honor to see someone who’s actually working and trying to put our name out there.”

One of Hall’s teammates, Paige Rochelle, noted that the women’s team gets good support from the school, but doesn’t seem to get the recognition fitting their accomplishments “We win championships. We won this year and last, and the year before that,” said Rochelle.

“All we can do is play, and hope that people will come,” Hall chimed in.

The main stage held performances by Central American and Irish folk dancers. The Irish dancers ranged from age four to middle-aged adults, and included some who dance competitively in the U.S. and internationally.

Near the spot where the Irish dancers were putting on the finishing touches to their makeup and costumes stood a striking Black woman in a white gi, with a black-striped blue belt indicating her third-degree status. Theresa Diamond looked confident, and chuckled as she spoke with The Louisiana Weekly about her martial art. “I like it because, number one, I know that if I get in trouble, I know what I can do,” Diamond said. She also discussed her enthusiasm for the discipline and what she could offer others. “I know what I bring to the table and [can] show other women and other girls. ‘Y’know what? We don’t have to walk and be afraid or go lock ourselves in the house. We can defend ourselves and be good at it.’”

Leslie Henderson used to work at the Audubon Tea Room in her younger years, and was happy to bring her grandchildren, Hannah and Lana, to the Zoo-to-Do event. “I always worked at the booths and seen how much fun the kids had. Now I finally have grandkids that I can come and enjoy and act like I wanted to just come for them, but I’m having more fun than them still.” Henderson said that while for her this was better than Jazz Fest, for her grandchildren the cotton candy and princess muffins were some of prime attractions. Both girls were hoping to see princesses in addition to the star wars characters mixing with the crowd, but Henderson said she had explained that the princesses might just be waiting to make an entrance “as princesses do.”

Saints’ yearbooks were available for the public at no charge, and while the team’s inflatable quarterback game wouldn’t fill with air, there was a steady stream of youngsters crawling through the inflatable tunnel. “An event like this just helps us to get one step closer to our families,” Andrew Remson, a Saints employee, told The Louisiana Weekly. “When they see Saints or the fleur de lis or footballs, they just get ecstatic,” Remson said of the way children respond to the Saints’ activities.

Miniature cupcakes filled a tiered tray at the Cake and Cups stand, where party-goers could decorate their own cupcakes with an assortment of colored sugars, sprinkles and the like. An elaborate layer cake decorated to look like a zoo with green icing, a fence, and zoo animals, graced the center of the table. Monique Hodges, owner of Cake and Cups, explained that she runs the business with the help of her mother and other family members.

“I started doing it for fun, and it sort of spiraled out of control,” Hodges said, noting that she also works full-time, is married and has a two-year old. In addition to the Zoo event, Hodges also volunteers with the Children’s Hospital. “I do it be­cause I like meeting new people and being creative in the whole process,” Hodges explained.

This article was originally published in the May 14, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper