Contact: Laura Stegman
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Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Presents 38th Annual Beastly Ball, Hailed as "One of the Best Parties in Los Angeles," to Celebrate California Condor Recovery Project and Benefit Los Angeles Zoo
Actress Betty White MC's Evening's Program;
Fritz Coleman is Celebrity Auctioneer
Saturday, June 14, 2008, 6pm -
Los Angeles Zoo
The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) presents the Beastly Ball,
called "one of L.A.'s biggest and most popular fund-raisers" by FOX TV News,
on Saturday, June 14, 2008, 6pm, under the stars at the Zoo. The 38th
annual Ball, chaired by Los Angeles Zoo Commissioner Kimberly Marteau
Emerson, celebrates the California Condor Recovery Project and the Zoo's
extraordinary role in saving the California condor from the brink of
extinction. This event also marks more than 40 years 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.
Known as "one of the best parties in Los Angeles" (KCAL TV News), the
Beastly Ball features long-time GLAZA Trustee Betty White as MC and Fritz
Coleman as celebrity auctioneer. Guests are invited to dress in casual or
safari attire and stroll through the grounds after hours to view the Zoo's
inhabitants. There are animal feedings and "animal walkabouts," which
include speaking with keepers and observing small animals up close. A
signature of the evening is delicious fare and libations provided by 17
popular Los Angeles restaurants, ranging from the elegant Parkway Grill and
Yamashiro to the crowd-pleasing El Cholo Restaurant and Pink's Famous Hot
Dogs and also including Celestino Ristorante, Maison Akira, Typhoon, Il
Fornaio Cucina Italiana, Green Street Restaurant, Bistro 45, Tam O'Shanter
Inn, Fabiolus Café, La Poubelle, Malo, the Smoke House Restaurant, Villa
Sorriso and Bar Celona. Entertainment by steel drum bands and calypso
musicians and dancing to a live band are all part of the fun. The Beastly
Ball's Silent Auction includes hundreds of remarkable items, and this year's
Live Auction offers one-of-a-kind opportunities such as courtside Lakers'
tickets, a vacation at a luxury villa in Jamaica, and a helicopter flight
with the LAPD, courtesy of Chief William Bratton.
White, whose acclaimed television roles range from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
and Golden Girls to
Boston Legal, was named "Ambassador to the Animals of the City of Los
Angeles" by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Popular KNBC TV weathercaster
Coleman devotes much of his free time to charitable activities and has won a
number of awards and honors for his dedication to community service.
According to GLAZA President Connie Morgan, "The Beastly Ball, always one of
Los Angeles' most unique philanthropic events, grows in attendance and
financial success each year. The money we raise contributes to GLAZA's
support for Los Angeles Zoo exhibits, conservation and much more." Nearly
$1.3 million was raised at the 2007 Beastly Ball.
"We are exceedingly grateful for GLAZA's invaluable support, especially at
the annual Beastly Ball, which contributes so much toward our ability to
provide the people of Los Angeles with one of the nation's great zoos,
state-of-the-art animal habitats, and wonderful conservation programs such
as the California Condor Recovery Program," notes Zoo Director John Lewis.
"The remarkable success story of the Condor Recovery Program epitomizes the
Zoo's commitment to conservation and provides reason to hope that other
critically endangered animals can be saved from extinction." The world
population of California condors, once as low as 22 in 1982, has climbed to
more than 300, with half of those birds living in the wild. Since the
1980s, the Los Angeles Zoo has been a partner in this program, whose primary
focus is the captive breeding and reintroduction of California condors to
the wild, with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining wild population.
To date, a total of 126 California condor chicks have hatched at the Los
Angeles Zoo.
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 membership base
of a cultural organization in Los Angeles. Many of its nearly 300,000
individual members have sustained their GLAZA support for more than 20
years. The Los Angeles Zoo is an international leader in the conservation
of endangered species and one of the city's major cultural and entertainment
resources.
Tickets to the Beastly Ball are $1,000 per person; individual and corporate
sponsorship opportunities at higher levels are also available. The Los
Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at
the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. For
tickets and information, call (323) 644-4708.
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