Sedgwick County Zoo Accepts Generous Donation From Excel/Cargill
For Immediate Release: July 26, 2002
Contact: Mark Klein Cargill/Excel Corp. 952-742-6211
Rebecca Rolph Sedgwick County Zoo (316) 942-2212 ext. 212
WICHITA, KS, July 26, 2002 - The Sedgwick County Zoo will announce today that the locally based Excel Corporation along with its parent company, Cargill, Incorporated, will contribute $300,000 to the Zoo's 'Keep Your Zoo Heads and Tails Above the Rest' campaign. This gift will go toward renovating the auditorium of the Zoo's R.L. Blakely Education Center.
Zoo Director Mark Reed will accept a check from Excel President Bill Buckner at the Zoo today at 3 PM. "We are extremely pleased that Excel and Cargill have stepped forward with this donation," said Reed. "This gift is indicative of the strong ties these companies have to this community."
Bill Buckner, President of Excel Corporation and a current member of the Zoological Board, said, "Excel and Cargill are proud to have partnered with the Sedgwick County Zoo for many years. The Zoo has become one of the most respected institutions and cultural assets of our community."
Renovation of the R.L. Blakely Education Center is an important component of the Zoo's current fundraising campaign. The campaign includes three main components and was designed to help the Zoo complete a portion of its master plan. Money will be raised to build the Downing Gorilla Forest and to fund an endowment that will help secure the Zoo's future and keep the Zoo affordable for future generations. Money will also be raised to renovate the R.L. Blakely Education Center.
Education is an important part of the Zoo's mission and more than 22,000 people of all ages participated in programs last year alone. The education center auditorium plays an important role in the various education programs offered during the year. The renovation of the auditorium will provide greater accessibility for those with special needs, an upgraded audio system and video projection system to make the space more useful for the variety of programs that occur there.
Excel has been based in Wichita since 1941 and employs 25,000 worldwide. They are the leader in branded and unbranded beef and pork, with products distributed globally. Cargill is an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services. Excel and Cargill have a long history of involvement with the Sedgwick County Zoo. They have contributed to the Zoo's veterinary hospital, the Pride of the Plains exhibit and the summer concert series.