Oct. 13, 2019

FLORENCE, AL - The University of North Alabama and the City of Florence will co-sponsor a brand new event - Paw-loween - on Saturday, Oct. 31. The event will include lion paw painting on Court Street as well as a trunk-or treat event. Paw painting will take place from 8 a.m. until noon by Registered Student Organizations and other UNA-based groups; trunk-or-treat will be from noon until 2 p.m. also on Court Street, and will be open to children throughout the community.

The event is part of the newly released town-gown document that outlines ways UNA and the City of Florence can continue to work together for the good of both entities.

"The University of North Alabama has been a part of the Shoals community for more than 190 years, and 165 of those years have been at our current location in Florence," said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. "Building and maintaining our strong relationship is critical for the continued vitality of both the University and the City of Florence."

Kitts and Florence Mayor Steve Holt created the town-gown work group to establish ways UNA and the City could continue to partner, particularly on events. Although the challenges of the pandemic persist, this event allows for the continued implementation of health and safety measures, including required cloth face coverings and social distancing between groups.

"The City of Florence and UNA have a strong history," said Florence Mayor Steve Holt. "UNA's graduates are a vital part of the city's economic engine, and it's absolutely critical that we maintain and build upon that history as we move into the future."

In addition to the student organizations and city departments, Florence-based businesses are invited to participate in the trunk-or-treat portion of Paw-loween. Representatives are asked to contact Sherry Wilkes, from UNA, at swilkes@una.edu or alumni1@una.edu, or Rachel Koonce, from the City of Florence, at rmansell@florenceal.org.

Participants are asked to wear cloth face coverings and maintain social distancing standards. In the event of rain, Paw-loween will be cancelled.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, doctoral-granting comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/