22q at the Zoo will kick off in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, May 18, 2025 and continue westward at zoos around the world giving families, friends and professionals a chance to socialize, network and raise public awareness of 22q11.2 differences.
Developed by the International 22q11.2 Foundation, volunteers spread awareness at their local or regional zoo, park, playground or aquarium by handing out 22q fact sheets and educating guests and zoo visitors. Participants are recognizable by wearing official “22q at the Zoo” red t-shirts and “Ask Me About 22q” buttons.
Check out pictures from past events and stay up-to-date on the latest news by following our Facebook page!
For ticket information click on your local city or region below.
If there is no coordinator for your location, show up at the entrance to your local zoo, park or playground with a brown bag lunch wearing the official t-shirts (or plain red shirt) and plan to meet others at 11:00 AM. We will add your name and location to the foundation website for other families to reach out to you…
History of 22q at the Zoo – Worldwide Awareness Day
22q at the Zoo – Worldwide Awareness Day launched for the first time on May 22, 2011. Learn more about the History of this event HERE.
Participating Zoos
Buenos Aires – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Gold Coast – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: president@22q.org.au
For more information visit here.
Melbourne – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: president@22q.org.au
For more information visit here.
Perth – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: president@22q.org.au
For more information visit here.
Mechelen
Name of Zoo: Zoo Planckendael
Coordinator Name:
Email: info@22q11.be
For more information visit here.
Rio De Janeiro – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Toronto – TBD
Name of Zoo: Toronto Zoo
Coordinator Name: Rozmin
Santiago – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
TBD
Name of Zoo:
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TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
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Girardot – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Copenhagen
Name of Zoo: Københavns Zoo
Coordinator Name: Anne
Email: anne@fampoulsen.com
For more information visit here.
Givskud
Name of Zoo: Givskud Zoo
Coordinator Name: Rikke
Email: rikkeottobroeker@gmail.com
Leicestershire
Name of Zoo: – Twycross Zoo
Coordinator Name: Max Appeal
Email:
For more information visit here.
Paignton – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
For more information visit here.
Winchester, Hampshire – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
For more information visit here.
Gavieside, West Calder – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
For more information visit here.
Heisinki
Name of Zoo: Korkeasaari Zoo
Coordinator Name: Hikka
Email: hilihappo@gmail.com
Ranua
Name of Zoo: Ranua’s Artic Wildlife Park
Coordinator Name: Outi
Email: outi.annala@22q11finland.fi
TBD
Dublin
Name of Zoo: Dublin Zoo
Coordinator Name: Anne
Email:
For more information visit here.
Cork
Name of Zoo: Fota Wildlife Park
Coordinator Name: Anne
Email:
For more information visit here.
Riccione
Name of Zoo: Oltremare Theme Park
Coordinator Name: Maria
Email: international@aidel22.it
For more information visit here.
Tokyo – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
For more information visit here.
Nagano – TBD
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Coordinator Name:
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Kaunas – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Harderwijk
Name of Zoo: Dolphinarium Harderwijk
Coordinator Name: Hanna
Email:
When: Sunday May 26, 2024
Visit here for more information.
Newtownards
Name of Zoo: Ark Open Farm
Coordinator Name: Gillian
Email:
For more information visit here.
Warsaw – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Livingston – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Subotica
Name of Zoo: Palić Zoo
Coordinator Name: Vesna
Email: 22qexyu@gmail.com
For more information visit here.
Barcelona – TBD
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Johannesburg – TBD
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Port Elizabeth – TBD
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Seoul – TBD
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Ockero – TBD
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TBD
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Taipei – TBD
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TBD
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Montgomery, AL – TBD
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Tuscaloosa, AL – TBD
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Little Rock, AR – TBD
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Phoenix, AZ – TBD
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Fresno, CA – TBD
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Oakland, CA – TBD
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Coordinator:
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Orange, CA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Visit 22qties for more information
Sacramento, CA – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
San Diego, CA – TBD
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Coordinator:
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Denver, CO – TBD
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Bridgeport, CT – TBD
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Wilmington, DE -TBD
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Boca Raton, FL – TBD
Location:
Coordinator:
Email:
Melbourne, FL -TBD
Nemours Children’s Hospital 22q Center
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Tampa, FL – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
Atlanta, GA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Visit here for more information.
Oahu, HI – TBD
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Email:
Boise, Idaho – TBD
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Des Moines, IA – TBD
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Chicago, IL – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
South Bend, IN – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Evansville, IN – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Wichita, KS – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Louisville, KY – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Baton Rouge, LA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Visit here for more information.
Shreveport, LA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email:
Ann Arbor, MI – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Detroit, MI – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Grand Rapids, MI – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Wallace, MI – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
St. Paul, MN
Name of Zoo: Como Park Zoo
Coordinator Name: Amy
Email: akebriaei@gmail.com
22q Team at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Kansas City, MO
Name of Zoo: Swope Park in front of Kansas Zoo
Coordinator Name: Heather
Email: heather@amp22q.org
Visit Angels with Missing Pieces for more information
St. Louis, MO
Name of Zoo: St. Louis Zoo
Coordinator Name: Deb
Email: daylaw1@aol.com
Tupelo, MS – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Billings, MT – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Asheboro, NC
Name of Zoo: North Carolina Zoo
Coordinator Names & Emails:
Bethany: Osbornbethany@gmail.com
Season: seasonmichelle@hotmail.com
Lincoln, NE – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
West Orange, NJ
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Coordinator:
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New York, NY – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
West New York – TBD
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Coordinator Name:
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Cincinnati, OH
Name of Zoo: Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Coordinator Name: Jessica
Email: Jdiscepoli@gmail.com
Cleveland, OH
Name of Zoo: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Coordinator Names & Emails:
Christine – msChristineCJones@gmail.com
Francis – Franny4181@yahoo.com
Columbus, OH
Name of Zoo: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Coordinator Name: Brittony
Email: brittony.howard@nationwidechildrens.org
Oklahoma City, OK – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
Tulsa, OK – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Portland, OR – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Philadelphia, PA
Name of Zoo: Philadelphia Zoo
Coordinator Name: Carol
Email: info@22q.org
Pittsburgh, PA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Greenville, SC – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
Columbia, SC – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Sioux Falls, SD
Name of Zoo: Great Plains Zoo
Coordinator Name: Katie
Email: Kaitlyn.Burns@sanfordhealth.org
Chattanooga, TN – TBD
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Coordinator:
Email:
Knoxville, TN – TBD
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Coordinator:
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Nashville, TN – TBD
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Coordinator:
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Abilene, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Austin, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Beaumont, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Brownsville, TX (Rio Grand Valley) – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
El Paso, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Houston, TX – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
San Antonio, TX – TBD
Name of Location:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Waco, TX – TBD
Name of Location:
Coordinator Name:
Email: contact@22qtexas.org
Salt Lake City, UT – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Northern WV/Pittsburgh, PA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
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Richmond, VA – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email:
Visit here for more information.
Washington, DC – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
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Seattle, WA
Name of Zoo: Woodland Park Zoo
Coordinator Name: Joyce
Email: Joyce.Doll@seattleschildrens.org
Milwaukee, WI – TBD
Name of Zoo:
Coordinator:
Email: