BY KARISSA MILLER

Zootastic hosted its 16th annual Teacher Appreciation Day on Thursday, providing free admission and lunch for educators and their families.

Nearly 2,000 visitors spent the day checking out the park’s kangaroos, tigers, giraffes, birds and more.

Zootastic owner Scottie Brown said that he comes from a family of teachers and that the best teachers go above and beyond for their students. Their paychecks don’t reflect all the time and effort they put into their jobs, he said.

“We give back to teachers. Teachers never get charged to come in our zoo, but on the third Thursday each June we do a show for them and feed them a picnic lunch. It’s all free,” Brown said. “We want them to walk away from here and know how much we appreciate what they do.”

Harmony Elementary School teacher Samantha Verzani enjoyed spending the day with her children.

“It’s great to feel appreciated. We try and come every year,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know it’s here, but is a great place to bring your family, have fun and it’s educational.”

Her children, Luke and Maddilyn, had fun riding the carousel with other children their age.

“Coming to the zoo is a great education experience and gives kids hands-on experiences and they can feed the animals,” said Davidson County teacher Kayla Ray.

It’s a special event for teachers, she said.

“It makes us feel recognized and important, which is nice,” Ray explained.

Her children, Jamison, Karrigan and Lainey, got up close with the tortoises and even got a chance to pet them.

“They can feel you when you rub their shell,” Brown told the kids.

Zootastic also offers a unique, private animal encounter where families can spend time with some of the baby animals. Brown introduced the group to Butter, a baby kangaroo, and Lucas, the sloth.

“Kangaroos are the softest animals in the world,” Brown told the group.

Zootastic is located at 448 Pilch Road in Troutman. Learn more at zootasticpark.com.

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