Record-breaking zoo gala raises $1 million for rhino conservation
More than 600 supporters squeezed into a chandelier-adorned tent at the Houston Zoo for the “Feed Your Wildlife: Saving Rhinos, Stories From Africa” gala.
Co-chairs Nancy and David Pustka and Randa and K.C. Weiner stacked the deck with high fundraising goals in mind. Hand-carved wooden rhinoceroses, some still bearing “Made in Kenya” stickers, dotted each table setting. City Kitchen’s menu of curried cauliflower soup, a chicken duo of grilled breast and crispy thighs, and petit fours made for a satisfying seasonal meal.
Then there was the video from legendary British primatologist Jane Goodall. Her passionate plea on behalf of the rhinoceroses, being slaughtered illegally for their horns, moved several guests to tears. Goodall also congratulated “two dear friends,” honorees Donald Kendall, a longtime Houston Zoo supporter, and Rick Barongi, the zoo’s former director.
Before live charitable giving began, National Geographic photographer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore presented a slideshow of his work. He spoke of using photography to “move the needle” as he clicked through dozens of powerful images, including brown bears feeding, primates, and near-extinct animals and amphibians.
“There are times in your life where something as fleeting as money will last longer than you will,” Sartore said. “Two hundred years from now, what will people say about us if we let rhinos go extinct?”
Attendees responded with pledges, bids and donations, raising $187,955 during the paddles-up portion of the evening. In the end, a recordbreaking $1,030,304 was raised for the Houston Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Program.