The Women’s Board and the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Zoological Society hosted the 35th annual Brookfield Zoo Gala, themed “A Whole New Whirl,” on April 30. More than 600 guests attended the event, the zoo’s largest fundraiser, which raised $1.29 million to support conservation, education and animal welfare programs.
As guests made their way to the tented reception area on the zoo grounds, an alpaca and a llama provided the first animal encounters of the night. Partygoers enjoyed mingling with a variety of other exotic animals, including a great horned owl, a tamandua, a two-toed sloth, a Cape porcupine, an African serval, a red-tailed hawk, two clouded leopard cubs and a Major Mitchell’s cockatoo. Trout the penguin, a crowd favorite, also posed with guests, as did 37-year old Georgette, a vulture.
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During the program, Women’s Board President Kay Guyette addressed the crowd and introduced co-chairs Heidi Huizenga and Sarah Opler. Stuart Strahl, CZS president/CEO, spoke about the zoo’s conservation efforts, most recently with Mexican gray wolves, an endangered species, in the wild. A surprise appearance by a 9-month-old cheetah from the Columbus Zoo delighted the crowd as he sauntered onto the dance floor following his devoted friend from birth, a Labrador retriever.
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Through a special speech device, Genevieve “Gigi” Sevilla shared her experiences as an ambassador for the King Conservation Science Scholar Program. She thanked the Society for including people with “intellectual differences and for promoting diversity among people.” She added, “I have participated in science classes, listened to lectures, learned about career readiness, gone behind the scenes at animal exhibits and joined in team-building activities with my King Scholar friends.”
Gigi’s mother, Christine Sevilla, expressed gratitude for the program and praised her daughter. “Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you’d have. It’s about understanding your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be. And, if you’re lucky, they might be the teacher who turns you into the person you’re supposed to be.”
Since the opening of Brookfield Zoo in 1934, the Society has had an international reputation for cutting-edge animal care and conservation. Among its firsts are indoor multispecies exhibits, zoo nutrition residencies, methods for animal husbandry, and medical care that includes successful brain surgery on a gorilla.
Freelance writer Candace Jordan is involved with many local organizations, including some whose events she covers.
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Find more photos and events at www.chicagotribune.com/candidcandace. Visit Candid Candace’s website at www.candidcandace.com, or follow her on Twitter @CandidCandace.
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