Contact: Laura Stegman
310/470-6321

Unique "Adopt" An Animal Program Is Romantic,
Original Gift in Range of Prices,
Supports Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association
(and is Tax Deductible!)

Proceeds Go To Programs for
Threatened/Endangered Species and Wildlife Preservation Projects

What could be more romantic (and original) than this Valentine's Day gift idea from the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA):  "ADOPT" an L.A. Zoo animal in honor of someone special!
 
GLAZA, a private, non-profit organization that supports the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, features a unique "ADOPT" AN ANIMAL program which provides the opportunity to become an "adoptive" parent to one of the Zoo's treasured animals while helping to protect and preserve endangered species.  (ADOPT is an acronym for Animals Depend on People, Too.)  By choosing a favorite animal at the Zoo, gift recipients are designated a guardian of that species at the Los Angeles Zoo for one year. 
 
Benefits for all donation levels, ranging from $35 to $1,000, include a personalized adoption certificate and animal fact sheet with a photo of the animal "ambassador."  One-of-a-kind benefits are available at other levels, among them a highly sought-after plush kookaburra (the Australian bird known to mate for life) for contributors of $250 or more (while supplies last).  Donors of $500 or more are entitled to a special walking tour and keeper talk, and donors of $1,000 or more are invited to a private, customized, docent-led cart tour to visit some of the Zoo's animal couples. 
 
As a bonus, the gift-giver joins the growing family of wildlife defenders who contribute to the Los Angeles Zoo’s Endangered Species Fund and who advance the cause of wildlife preservation and conservation at the Zoo and around the world.  What's more, the donation is tax-deductible.
 
The year 2008 marks more than four decades of GLAZA's success in supporting the Los Angeles Zoo's work as an educational resource for the citizens of Los Angeles, and as an international center for the conservation of endangered wildlife.  GLAZA provides support for Los Angeles Zoo exhibits, conservation, capital projects, education programs, community outreach, research, and more through fund-raising and an endowment, membership, special events and more.  GLAZA currently has 65,000 member households, the second largest non-profit organization membership in Los Angeles.  Many of its nearly 300,000 individual members have sustained their GLAZA support for more than 20 years. 
 
For additional information on "ADOPT" AN ANIMAL, including a downloadable donation form, visit http://lazoo.org/support/adopt/ or call Daphne at 323/ 644-6035. 

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The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. The Zoo is open from 10am to 5pm daily. For general information, call 323/644-4200.