Give Local 757!

In one week on Tuesday, May 8, the Virginia Zoo, as well as dozens of other nonprofits in the Hampton Roads area, is participating in the fifth annual Give Local 757 Day of Giving. This year, our goal is to raise $5,000 toward a new “jungle gym” for the Zoo’s orangutans, as well as a new baby orangutan, expected to arrive this summer!

The Virginia Zoo has four orangutans – Schnitz, Pepper, Solaris and mom-to-be Dara! One of the most popular animals to see at the Zoo, the orangutans are full of character and enjoy making nests, snacking, napping and climbing to the highest points in their enclosures.

Orangutans are critically endangered due to habitat depletion for palm oil farming, and the soon-to-be five orangutans at the Virginia Zoo are ambassadors for their relatives in the wild. Dara’s pregnancy is significant, not only because this is the first orangutan baby for the Virginia Zoo, but because orangutans need our help if we want the species to thrive years from now.

The new orangutan “jungle gym,” or hammock, will help to encourage the orangutans’ natural instincts to climb. This new structure will also give Dara and baby more places to play and stay. With your help, we can give the orangutans a new place to explore and…. hang out!

Last year the Zoo raised more than $4,000. The money raised went toward the World of Reptiles Capital Campaign. With support from our generous donors, Zoo members and local citizens like you, we are hopeful that our goal to raise $5,000 can be met in no time.

You can make an online donation to the Virginia Zoo at www.givelocal757.org on May 8 starting at Midnight, and your gift will get amplified from incentive funds and additional dollars with prize challenges throughout the day that will help the Virginia Zoo win extra money! Although online donations must be a minimum of $10, your donation of any amount will help make a difference. Just 500 donations of $10 will help us reach our goal!

Be sure to tell all of your family and friends to donate. Also make sure to post on Facebook and Instagram, as well as tweet about donating to the Zoo, using #virginiazoo and #givelocal757! This is an opportunity to be part of something really big. Help us get there!

Thank you in advance for your generosity to the Virginia Zoo and the community. Together we can make a big impact!

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