mission
The mission of “dreamnight at the zoo” is one annual and cost-free evening out in the zoo, preferably on the first Friday of June, from 18:00 untill + 22:00 hours for chronically ill and disabled children and their familymembers.
Our literally goal is: “an annual and entrance-free eveningopening of a zoo exclusively for chronically ill and disabled children, their parents and brothers and sisters”
These very special guests do not often have opportunities to visit our zoos, because they come from children’s hospitals or institutions for disabled children.
The entrance-tickets for these evenings are put at the disposal of the (childrens)hospitals and institutions by the joining zoos themselves. Only the medical staff can select the children and distribute the tickets.
Each zoo organises this event in its own way, but in all the zoos the children are welcomed and treated as V.I.P.’s. They get a warm reception with music, clowns or other fantasy figures. The children are allowed to open doors, ask the keepers questions, they can come into as close of contact with the animals as possible and get a more intimate view of the zoo than the average zoo visitor.
It is fantastic to observe all the happy faces of the children, and to see the relatives of the children, who often have a very heavy burden to bear, also having a good time. Meeting similar families, also having a very nice and care free evening without the everyday problems, is another enjoyable aspect of these evenings.
It is also a very special and satisfying evening for the zoo employees and volunteers. Everyone, including the director, keepers, gardeners, technicians, teachers, restaurant workers and lavatory attendants, they all work together for the common goal. Making an unforgettable evening for these children and their families is a perfect team-building experience. Allmost all of the zoo employees volunteer to work that evening, and no one complains, even if he or she has had to answer the same question a thousand times. It is fun and a rewarding job to do.
Many external companies and individuals are pleased to contribute to this event in a variety of ways, for example by providing free transportation, snacks, ice cream, face-paint or flowers and even money to be spent on whatever the organisers find appropriate. Famous bands and artists offer fantastic music or theater acts. In some zoos the fire brigade allows the children to use the fire hose or have a look in the fire engine, police personnel offer their assistance, and the A.A.patrol takes care of flat wheelchair tires.
It really is a project that is well worth the effort. It is our dream that all Zoos in the world once will call the first Friday of June (or December) the “dreamnight at the zoo”….
Dreamnight without a Zoo
The Dreamnight at the Zoo Foundation also tries to interest other companies to annually open their gates free of charge for chronically ill and disabled children….
Waterland Neeltje Jans (in Burg-Haamstede, Holland) is the first attraction park that decided to join us (starting in 2004)… followed by Ferme Marcel Dhénin in Lille (France) and in 2006 by Circus Herman Renz (the Netherlands) and Remabi Park (Australia). You will find all our “non-zoo” partners on the partner-page of this website… please do take a look…
Obviously we really do hope that many attraction parks, but also theaters, swimming-pools, circusses, museums and so on will join us, so there will be much more Dreamnights all over the world….
Are you interested in joining us with your company…?
or you need some more information…?
Don’t hesitate, but contact us… now…
(email: info@dreamnightatthezoo.nl)