An annual 5k is back at a local zoo, and this year it will help restore a favorite attraction of many. 

On the WHOW Morning Show Thursday, Miller Park Zoo Executive Director Jay Pratte told Regional Radio that their annual Stampede 5k course has changed a bit this year, but will still feature fan favorites like the kids race through the zoo. 

The funds raised from this event will put the finishing touches on the restoration of the carousel. Pratte is grateful to the team that has been working diligently on the project and says that the attraction should be returning this spring. 

Pratte indicates the cosmetic restoration of the carousel was estimated to cost in the hundreds of thousands. While the Zoological Society has been handling that aspect, the zoo itself has been working with the city to improve the mechanical pieces. 

The reassembling of the carousel should not interrupt the zoo's operations severely, Pratte indicates that the project should only take a few days. Help support the restoration efforts and the Miller Park Zoo by registering for the Stampede 5k at mpzs.org.