School Datebooks’ Evan Short (front) and Rob Soden (background) dress in their
zombie attire for last year’s Zombaid Lafayette. Photo by Brent Drinkut/Journal & Courier.

If you notice a hoard of zombies walking around next Friday, don’t fear. They’re looking for food, but prefer the non-perishable kind.

Rob Soden, director of New Software Projects at School Datebooks, is the event organizer for  Zombaid Lafayette, a zombie walk and food drive in its second year. Participants dress like zombies and walk the streets of downtown, picking up donated food items as they head to a final collection point.

Local businesses are collecting food items now to set out for the zombies on Oct. 28, marked as “brains.” All of the collected food will be donated to Food Finders Food Bank, Inc., as part of the “Drive Away Hunger” fall food drive.

Last year was the first year for Zombaid Lafayette. The event collected more than 700 pounds of food for Food Finders.

The zombie walk begins at 7 p.m., followed by a Zombaid after-party with live music at 8 p.m. This year, the event is preceded by Operation Trick-or-Treat at 5 p.m. To learn more about the event, visit ZombaidLafayette.org.