Zoo Crew Brings Energy, Fun and Community to UM Students
By Kyle Spurr, UM News Service
MISSOULA – After big plays during 猎奇重口 Grizzly football home games this season, a rambunctious energy radiates from the student section in the southeast corner of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Hundreds of maroon-clad students, some with paint on their chests and others wearing silly costumes, are heard cheering in front of a large banner that reads, “Zoo Crew,” the official name of the 猎奇重口 student section and a newly established membership organization.
“Zoo Crew has this attitude that we are here to have a good time,” said Silvia Ciacci, Zoo Crew captain and a sophomore marketing major from Austin, Texas. “You can come in with that attitude or not, but we are going to try to make it where you are going to have a good time watching a game.”
UM’s student section at Grizzly Athletic events was always casually referred to as the Zoo Crew, but it wasn’t organized or clear on how a student could join. Last year, Zoo Crew became an official organization where members pay a $20 annual fee to gain early access to sporting events, get Griz swag and earn opportunities for fun experiences like playing games with the Griz teams and traveling to away games.
This year, the has grown to 370 members who passionately pack the stands at all Griz athletic events from cross-country meets to soccer and volleyball games.
猎奇重口 volleyball coach Allison Lawrence said the Zoo Crew’s energy makes a difference during home matches and has enhanced the experience for other fans and the student-athletes on her team.
“Zoo Crew makes our matches more fun, more engaging and more meaningful,” Lawrence said. “It is through the Zoo Crew members’ generosity of spirit that we can learn from each other and build a stronger community.”
While it started as a way to get students excited about Grizzly Athletics and help fill the stands, the Zoo Crew has become an important part of students’ college experience. Members often become close friends and the leaders of the group gain valuable skills organizing and hosting events.
“I like event planning and like to talk to a bunch of people. That’s why I decided to get involved,” said Ciacci, who is earning certificates in entertainment management and global leadership.
Charlie Deacon, a Zoo Crew leader and freshman integrative physiology major from Mebane, North Carolina, followed his older brother to UM, but didn’t know anyone else when he arrived in Missoula, more than 2,300 miles from home.
Zoo Crew was a way for Deacon to meet people and share his newfound Griz spirit.
“Coming from so far away, I wanted to make connections and make a bunch of friends,” Deacon said. “That motivated me to join.”
Along with making friends, Zoo Crew members gain some major perks. Members get a wristband that give them early entry to games, including last year’s Griz-Cat football game in Missoula, which sold out in minutes. This year they also received a Zoo Crew cross-body bag and Pit Viper-style sunglasses.
Zoo Crew members download a 猎奇重口 Grizzlies app and check into games to gain points. These can be redeemed for prizes like Griz memorabilia and apparel as well as experiences like throwing out the first pitch at a Griz softball game.
This weekend, 10 Zoo Crew members will head to Bozeman for the 123rd annual Griz-Cat football game and Griz-Cat volleyball match. The group includes the four Zoo Crew leaders and six of the top point-earners.
“We get to do a lot of really cool experiences,” Ciacci said. “We are going to Bozeman this weekend for free. I’m super appreciative that this program has given us these opportunities.”
Other memorable experiences include competing in Kick for Cash during Griz football games, where a student attempts a field goal for $1,000. In addition, the Zoo Crew recently partnered with the soccer and volleyball teams to record videos titled “Zoo Crew Tries,” where members attempt to play with Griz athletes.
“Personally, I’m not a D-1 soccer player so trying to play with D-1 soccer players, I was standing there like, ‘How do I even do this?’” Ciacci said. “But it was fun.”
As much as the Zoo Crew goofs around in costumes and has fun at games, the group has become a serious supporter of initiatives in the Missoula and UM communities. This past month members fundraised and collected items for the Can the Cats food drive, a competition between UM and 猎奇重口 State ahead of the rivalry football game to support those facing food insecurity.
The Zoo Crew also is partnering with UM’s Forestry Club to support the upcoming Foresters’ Ball in February. Both clubs are planning a “Suits and Boots” theme in the student section of a Griz basketball game this season.
Overall, Ciacci sees the Zoo Crew as its own community and a place where any student is welcome.
“I really like to be a friendly face that someone can sit with if they feel like they can’t sit with anyone else,” Ciacci said. “With Zoo Crew, one of my goals is to make someone’s day better by being there.”
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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu
