On October 25th, we held a meetUP for the youth in our program, in partnership with the Sacramento Zoo. This Halloween-inspired virtual event featured a presentation from zoo staff Brooke, Mike and Lara. They taught us all about some of their spookiest critters!
We met a few different animals, including:
- Charlie, a great horned owl. This type of owl lives right here in Sacramento!
- Samantha, a blue-tongued skink. When she’s frightened, she gets as big as possible and scares potential predators into thinking she’s venomous with her bright mouth.
- Ariel, an African albino hedgehog. She was absolutely adorable, but rolls into a tight spiky ball if threatened!
- Bradshaw, a 20-lb ball python who can go days or even weeks in the wild between meals.
- And finally – Ronnie, a baby American alligator. He was only a year old, and a tiny fraction of the size he’ll be as an adult!
The zoo staff were enthusiastic, informative and answered all of our questions about each animal. It was a fun opportunity to see these animals up close and personal, and to be able to learn interesting facts about each one.
The week before this event, Aging UP staff, board members and volunteers delivered pumpkins and goodie bags filled with a carving kit, electric candle, and candy to our program youth. This was funded in partnership with Raley’s, who donated a $100 gift card to purchase the pumpkins and some of the carving kits. We made sure to get these supplies delivered in advance, so our pumpkin carvers could get their carved creations ready. After the Sacramento Zoo’s presentation at our event, mentors & mentees were able to show off the pumpkin carvings they made. For one youth, this was the first pumpkin he’s ever carved, and it turned out fantastic!
A huge thank you to Raley’s, the Sacramento Zoo, our board members and volunteers that came together to make this a special Halloween event for our youth!
