Dinosaurs bring fun to pediatric unit

Jurassic Quest is now at Ocean Center.

By Wayne Grant
| 8:45 a.m. August 5, 2016

Audrey Gibbons, 7, says hello to the triceratops. Photos by Wayne Grant

Clara Miller’s mother said she was excited to see the dinosaurs. Photos by Wayne Grant

Zethaniah Moore meets Tina the T-Rex with the help of Jurassic Quest employee Nicole Lavene. Photos by Wayne Grant

Ormond Beach Observer
Neighbors

Dinosaurs roamed the earth on Aug. 4 … or at least roamed from Ocean Center in Daytona Beach to the Pediatrics Unit at Halifax Health on Clyde Morris Boulevard.
A couple of the animatronic baby dinosaurs, a T-Rex named Tina and a triceratops named Trixie, were brought to the hospital by representatives of Jurassic Quest, a show at the Ocean Center Aug. 5-7. It was the first visit to the Ocean Center by the country’s largest exhibit of lif-size, moving animatronic dinosaurs from the company based in Spring, Texas.
The idea for the visit came from Volusia County. Spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec said that they wanted to give the kids in the pediatric clinic a chance to see the dinosaurs because they might not be able to go to the show.
The visit had an impact on Zethaniah Moore, 6. His dad said he now wants to be a doctor, policeman or paleontologist.
Zethaniah said the liked the extinct animals because they are “all different.”
Zuleyka Caquias said the dinosaurs were providing cheer to the kids, including her daughter, Amaya Otero, 3, of Connecticut.
Audrey Gibbons, 7 of Port Orange, seemed fascinated by the triceratops.
“He has three horns to protect himself,” she said.
The Jurassic Quest show at Ocean Center features 50 realistic dinosaurs. Visitors can interact with the huge creatures, learn about them and even ride a few. For information, visit jurassicquest.com.