The Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is 50 years old this year, and we’re celebrating by doing what we do best: support the zoo! Our $50K for 50 Years campaign aims to raise $50,000 for the zoo by the end of 2020. This fundraiser will help us recover our footing after the recent closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since our founding in 1970, Friends of the Zoo has grown from a small group of citizens devoted to improving their zoo to a key partner of the zoo that supports its AZA missions of top-notch animal care, nature education and saving species.
Over 50 years, Friends has helped fund many zoo improvements and key exhibits including the USS Antiquities exhibit, Amur tiger exhibit, Penguin Coast, Primate Park and the Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve. We are currently funding the renovation of the former lion exhibit to create a new Amur leopard exhibit, the Zalie & Bob Linn Amur Leopard Woodland slated to open this summer. We also operate the Jungle Café, the Curious Cub Gift Shop, Catering at the Zoo, membership, volunteer services and an education department that brings lessons on nature and wildlife conservation to thousands of children and adults each year.
To launch the “50 for 50” campaign, the 22-member Friends of the Zoo Board of Directors each pledged to donate at least $50 each, and Friends staff and volunteers followed suit. Now we are asking the public to pitch in with a donation of any amount in hopes of crowd-funding our $50 K goal by the end of the year.
Please consider pitching in with a donation of any amount at syracusezooevents.org/Friends50.
Together, we can help give our zoo a strong start to the next 50 years. Thank you for supporting your zoo!
Quentin “Skip” Lockwood Interim Executive Director Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo