by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
What is green, more than three-foot long and comes from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens?
No...its not a snake.
If you are on the zoo’s mailing list you might have found a rather unusual invitation in your mailbox this week.
In an effort to promote and attract attendees to the zoo’s April 23 “ExZOOberation 2005,” a major fund-raiser and celebration of what’s new at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the zoo printed up and distributed hundreds of unique invitations.
At first glance, the bright green invitation is 8 inches by 8 inches with a bright flower on the front but once opened it folds out to a 3-foot-6-inch banner that almost screams “ExZOOberation.”
“It makes a big splash when you open it up,” said Dennis Pate, executive director of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. “It will definitely get people’s attention.”
Pate said the oversized invitations, which were developed in-house by the zoo’s development team, are somewhat of a tradition for the annual event. He said the event’s organizing committee has been using large, flashy die cut invitations since the first one 10 years ago.
“There is so much competition out there for events like these,” Pate said. “A snazzy invitation really helps pique people’s interest. It really makes the event stand out.”
And though the invitations look as if they cost about $5 each, Pate said the printing was donated this year by the Hartley Press.
This year’s invitation features three icons that signify the focus of the event: a giraffe, flowers and a carousel. Pate said this year’s ExZOOberation will feature the opening of the new giraffe exhibit, a botanical garden and a new wildlife carousel, which will have exotic animals like rhinoceroses instead of the traditional horse.
Something else that sets this event apart, besides the invitation, is the casual attire requirement. Though the event will feature music, dancing, cocktails and the other usual fund-raiser activities, Pate said attire is kept casual so everyone can relax and have a good time.
And since this is a zoo-related event, Pate said attendees can expect something else — “animal encounters.” He said there will be several trained animal handlers at the event exhibiting some of the zoo’s smaller animals, like snakes, owls and a few other small mammals.
Besides introducing attendees to the zoo’s new features and some of its critters, Pate said the event also contributes a lot of money to the zoo’s coffers.
“This is a big fund-raiser for us and it contributes funds to our operating budget,” he said.
While the first ExZOOberation event ten years ago raised about $42,000, Pate said he expects this year’s event to raise more than $180,000.