Louisville Zoo gains capital campaign
momentum
Receives $900,000 national grant;
construction of Glacier Run to start soon
The Louisville Zoo just received a boost in
its Glacier Run capital campaign when The Kresge Foundation, a
Michigan-based private, national foundation, awarded the Zoo a
$900,000 capital matching grant—$150,000 more than requested.
“This is a huge momentum catalyst,”
Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “It is rare for a
national foundation to give an organization more than it originally
requested. It is testament to the timeliness and essential nature of
this project that a prestigious national foundation would support it
with such a significant grant.”
In making the grant, Rip Rapson, President
and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, noted the Louisville Zoo’s
leadership role in the state and zoo field and commended the Zoo’s
commitment to provide access and opportunities for low-income
students through its educational programs.
“When Glacier Run opens, we will be able
to expand our educational programming even further into the region
to communicate one of the most relevant conservation issues of our
time,” Walczak said.
To date, the Zoo has raised more than $17
million toward the project. The $900,000 Kresge challenge grant is
contingent on the Zoo raising $25 million by 2010 from new private
sources including individuals, corporations and foundations.
“We have a very high confidence level we
can reach our goal,” Walczak said. “We have been successful thus far
in pursuing opportunities to get funding for this project, and we
will continue to be responsible stewards of this investment.”
The Glacier Run project, scheduled to open
in 2009, hinged on state funding which hasn’t yet been attained. Due
to the delay, construction costs increased. But recently the
Louisville Zoo Foundation board unanimously decided to phase the
project and proceed, officially breaking ground soon with the hope
of a grand opening in 2010.
“Because this is such a timely project, the
Louisville Zoo Foundation Board has decided not to wait any longer
and to move forward, focusing on getting the ‘heart’ of Glacier Run
complete, with polar bears, seals and sea lions,” Louisville Zoo
Foundation Board Chair Mark Wheeler said.
With increased construction costs and
current cash flow, the other originally planned components of the
project, including Steller’s sea eagles, sea otters and the Glacier
Run animal outreach center, will be phased in soon after this main
area is complete. The Zoo is also working on a parallel fundraising
track through alternate funding sources to ensure a $2.7 million
endowment for the project.
“We will build everything we promised,”
Walczak said. “Glacier Run will be a world-class zoo experience
right here in our own back yard.
“Glacier Run will not only tell
the dramatic story of the polar bear, one of the most charismatic
species on our planet becoming more threatened every day, it will
also engage visitors of all ages and educate them about the most
pressing environmental challenges of our time. Glacier Run will
inspire us to take action in bettering the bond between people and
our planet.”
For more information on Zoo’s upcoming
Glacier Run exhibit, visit
http://www.louisvillezoo.org/glacierrun/.
