Zoo friends team up for "Madagascar" screening

Friends of the Lords Park Zoo will be selling concessions, appropriately enough, at the city of Elgin's free showing of the animated movie, "Madagascar."

The nonprofit group is raising money to replace 400 square feet of fencing that surrounds the zoo's bison pen, said Laurie Faith Gibson-Aiello, chairwoman of the Friends of Lords Park Zoo.

The group has so far raised $11,000 toward the $50,000 project, she said.

The city initially invited local nonprofits to hawk concessions at separate movie screenings to benefit each group.

The free screenings run every Thursday evening and start July 1 with "Madagascar."

Friends of the Lords Park Zoo was announced as a last-minute replacement for a charity that couldn't make it.

"Madagascar" is an animated flick about Central Park Zoo animals who are shipped to Africa and end up getting shipwrecked on Madagascar.

"It's amusing," Gibson-Aiello said of the group selling concessions at an animal-themed movie. "We're happy to be able to step in and kick things off."

The movie will be preceded by cat tricks and stunts from Amazing Animals by Samantha.

Friends of Lords Park Zoo intends to sell soda, candy, healthy snacks and glow-in-the-dark necklaces.

The group will also be raffling off a vegetable garden.

For details about the group, visit http://lordsparkzoo.org/wp/