TULSA, Okla. – While the citizens of Caney, Kansas raised the dead to raise money for a new library building, the Kansas Area Office of the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised water safety awareness, Oct. 18.
During the annual Caney Zombie Walk residents and library supporters brought out the undead to raise money for the 145 year old library and Eugene Goff, the manager of the Kansas Area Office, brought out rangers to raise the likelihood visitors will wear their life jackets and be safe on the water.
“A lot of people from this area recreate at Big Hill Lake, Copan Lake, Hulah Lake and Elk City Lake and the lead up to the zombie walk gave us an excellent opportunity to raise water safety awareness,” Goff said.
Most of the booths at Caney Park were devoted to the macabre but the Corps’ booth gave the walking dead the chance to play water safety-related games.
“We find that interacting with people at the booths by asking them questions that test their water safety knowledge is more effective than just preaching at people,” said Kyle Manwaring, a park ranger from the Marion Reservoir project office. “If they don’t know the answer, they realize there is a knowledge gap that needs to be filled. When they answer correctly, we can reinforce that information.”