There is no bad weather, only badly dressed people. This idea is said to be attributed to tourists, or golfers. Last Saturday, it was heard several times. Especially when volunteers arrive at the Košice Zoo. So we adopted it.

The weather was terrible, it was raining, the wind was blowing and we were waiting with a little "soul" to see how many volunteers would come and how many of them would rather stay in the warmth of their homes.

The first to surprise were the employees of the zoo. Already at half past eight, all ten applicants were on and ready. Our people came gradually, we postponed the beginning by half an hour. And then they just came and came and came.... Only four who apologized a few days in advance did not come. However, additionally announced reinforcements also arrived - Katka Dittelová took her sister and Marián Lipnický  took his  son with his girlfriend. And so the final number of ironworkers was 27.

We all watched the sky with hope, but also fear, pushing the gray, heavy clouds away with our eyes.  It didn't work. Instead of painting the fences and arranging the surroundings of the breeding facility for lynxes, our colleagues from the zoo prepared a substitute program for us. Everyone was most sorry that we would not set up tents, which they use as part of the Night at the Zoo project.  "It's a pity, your people are extremely smart, since I also see "old" familiar faces here, so the tents would be set up once or twice," said the head of the marketing department, Eva Malešová.

After all, there was no substitute program to be thrown away. In two large halls, metal stands and wooden slats, which serve as barriers, were waiting for the skilful hands of our volunteers.  "We have almost a hundred of them. We use them when we need to divide the space, when directing visitors, as temporary mobile barriers, for example even now during foot-and-mouth disease, so that people do not come into contact with ungulates," said chief zoologist Patrik Pastorek,  adding that these barriers have not been treated since they were purchased, back in the early days of the Košice Zoo.

And it was visible in them. Our volunteers first had to clean the metal stands from rust and get rid of old paints, and then repaint them.  As well as the wooden slats that are part of the barriers.  Our volunteers had a great job. 

A group of colleagues from the ERP team also came for the first time.

(in the photo from the left: Ľuboš Sova, Edo Grečner, Soňa Kotelesová, Anna Ondrovičová and Gabriel Kádar).

Edo Grečner: "I've already been to the USSK volunteer event, even though I don't go regularly. This is my first time at the zoo. I'm glad that everyone who could gathered from our team. No work is "replacement", every job needs to be done."

Gabriel Kádar: "We go regularly. When we can, we are happy to help. It doesn't matter what kind of work we do."

Soňa Kotelesová: "I have been to the Metallurgists for Košice event in the past. The weather was a bit disappointing, but since we have an alternative program, I'm very happy that we can at least help in this way.  An amazing community of people gathered here and most importantly, a lot of us came, which is really positive. I also like to help. It's great that this tradition has been preserved for 19 years."

As always, the colleagues from the garden took very good care of their friends, basically friends from U. S. Steel Košice. Those who needed a ride to the halls, which were quite far from the entrance to the garden, were taken away by cars. And everyone was treated to excellent strudel.

 "It would be better to set up tents, but unfortunately, it is still not possible, it is still raining, the grass is soaked, there will be a lot of mud. But we will also help the garden with this work and that's fine," said Marián Lipnický, who sometimes went to check if the weather had become wiser with hope. The rain stopped only when we went to lunch after the end of the work.

"The unbreakable will and willingness to help on the part of the steelworkers is striking and admirable. I am glad that we have found a solution. There are still few hardworking hands. And there was also a great mood. As it always is when you come to us. We have known many of them for many years and you have become our friends," Eva Malešová thanked at lunch.

Since it stopped raining in the meantime, she invited everyone to enjoy Saturday with a walk in the garden and gave our volunteers family tickets for another visit to the zoo.

Our scholarship holder Jozef Gbúrik was very happy about the part-time job, but also the walk and especially the ticket, who was very willing to help us throughout the day: "I chose the ZOO because as a little boy I used to come here often and gladly, I loved animals and had a very positive relationship with them. I liked to read various books and encyclopedias and learn about animals. I actually already knew by heart some texts from the tables placed on the breeding facilities."

Both our scholarship holder and all participants of the volunteer day Metallurgists for Košice are already looking forward to the next, jubilee 20th year of this event. They gave us the task of coming up with something special and especially "arranging" better weather.