IONIA, Mich. — His name is Jeremy Zamarron, but in Ionia, he's known as the "Panda Man."
A couple of times a week he walks the streets wearing a panda head, waving and spreading cheer.
Zamarron said when COVID began he had been walking around downtown and noticed how unhappy everyone seemed.
He said he's always enjoyed walks, so one day he decided to see if he could bring a smile to peoples' faces by putting on one of his daughter's panda heads as he went on his stroll.
Needless to say, the Panda Man quickly started to get some smiles.
"People loved it, and I've been going with it ever since," Zamarron said.
He said a friend of his challenged him to make a video in the panda mask for some laughs. With his goofiness and his wife's help, he's been making videos for the past four years.
The videos are posted on Facebook and TikTok.
"Sometimes life is rough, and if I can put a smile on someone's face and make them laugh, it's just a little easier to deal with," he said.
The Panda Man doesn't have any specific dance moves, but he can always be found grooving.
"If you have the gift to make people smile and laugh, do it, because the world needs more of it. So the Panda Man's here. Love you guys."
He usually begins his dancing at Geldhof Tire and Auto in Ionia and will walk down to the traffic light, going back and forth.
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