On Thursday, June 13, supporters of the Dallas Zoo gathered for a private party at the Dallas Zoo’s Simmons Safari Base Camp where the details for this year’s exciting Zoo To Do fundraising event were revealed. Servers wandered through the crowd with bites, while guests enjoyed watching the elephants stroll through the Giants of the Savanna habitat and got up-close and personal with several of the Zoo’s residents including a Eurasian eagle owl, African crested porcupine, radiated tortoise, and a friendly pair of flamingos. Kevin Hanrahan, President of the Dallas Zoo’s Board of Directors, welcomed everyone and announced Dawn and Steve Moore as this year’s Event Chairs and their three children, Brett Moore, Blair Raggio, and Brooke Moore as the ZTD2 Co-Chairs. Hanrahan then introduced Darryl Griffin, Executive Vice President Advancement at the Dallas Zoo, who informed attendees that this is the 28th year of Zoo To Do which, for the past four years, has raised over one million dollars to support the Zoo’s mission of Creating a Better World for Animals.
Slated for Saturday, November 2, 2019, and hosted at the Dallas Zoo, guests and patrons of Zoo To Do: Wild At Heart will stroll through the award-winning Giants of the Savanna habitat, sample exquisite dishes from more than 25 of Dallas’s premier chefs and restaurants, and enjoy interactive animal demonstrations and musical entertainment. Following dinner, guests will move to the Wilds of Africa plaza for a live auction featuring rare Zoo experiences, travel and more! Finally, partygoers will dance the night away to music from Emerald City All Stars. Another option is available, perfect for young professionals, called ZTD2 (Zoo To Do 2) and will begin at 9:00 p.m. with a separate ticket price of $150 per person. ZTD2 will feature exclusive chefs, along with an open bar and dancing until midnight to local favorites, the Emerald City All-Stars.
“With Dawn and Steve Moore volunteering to lead this year’s event, we are excited about all of the possibilities that this will unveil for us.” said Griffin, “We thank you for your efforts in support of our work to save animals from extinction. We care for more than 2,000 animals, representing over 400 species, more than half of which are part of AZA Species Survival Plans.”
Dawn and Steve Moore took to the podium to announce their committee chairs and members and thank them in advance for the hard work we all know they will put in to making this event a success: Kim Hext as Advisory Chair; Diane Brierley as Live Auction Chair with Arlene Brantley and Barbara Daseke serving on the Live Auction Committee; Robyn Chauvin and Alex Arellano as Silent Auction Co-Chairs with Rudy Rodriquez serving on the Silent Auction committee; Gloria Snead and Justin Shipley as Raffle Co-Chairs; Kevin Hanrahan as Host Committee Chair; Cindy Gummer as Big Board Chair; Chuck Whitten as Underwriting Chair with Mark Enoch, Joan Walne, Ruth Ruhl, Paul Haney, and Scott Gregory serving on the Underwriting Committee; Chef Dan Landsberg, Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa is back as Honorary Chef Chair; as is Brett Krafft, Hilton Anatole, serving as Chef Wrangler; Anna Katherine Bonnet, Peyton Cook, Alexandra & Daniel Cullins, Rachel & Jacob Koonsman, Jared Miller, Lorna & Eli Pierce, John & Claire Sager, Victoria Vish, John Wilder, Travis Andres, Mary Gorter, and Taylor Sorrels will serve on the ZTD2 Committee.
Zoo To Do is a major source of funding for the Dallas Zoo. Proceeds from the event help support the Zoo’s dedication to providing the best animal care, delivering unique education offerings, and furthering its wildlife conservation efforts. Sponsorships range from $7,500 to $150,000. Individual tickets are $750 each and a VIP ticket is $1,500. For more information, visit the website at DallasZooToDo.com or contact Makalah Brown, Events Manager, 469.554.7341,Makalah.Brown@DallasZoo.com.