Dallas Zoo Fundraiser Plans To Return To The Wild

Slated for Saturday, November 6, 2021, and once hosted at the Dallas Zoo, Return To The Wild: Zoo To Do 2021 will see an anticipated 450 guests and patrons will stroll through the award-winning Giants of the Savanna habitat, sample exquisite dishes from more than a dozen of Dallas’s premier chefs and restaurants, and enjoy up-close interactive animal demonstrations and musical entertainment. Following dinner, guests will move to the Wilds of Africa Plaza for a live auction featuring rare Zoo experiences, travel and more! Finally, partygoers will dance the night away to music from Manhattan.

On Tuesday, July 20, supporters of the Dallas Zoo gathered at POP! by Snowday inside the Galleria Dallas where the Zoo revealed details for this year’s exciting Zoo To Do fundraising event. Servers wandered through the crowd with bites, while guests enjoyed watching the elephants stroll through the Giants of the Savanna habitat and got up-close and personal with several of the Zoo’s Animal Adventures Outreach ambassador animals including a Eurasian eagle owl, a radiated tortoise, and a friendly pair of flamingos. Lois Finkelman, Board of Directors Chair for the Dallas Zoo welcomed everyone, then announced Robyn and Chris Chauvin as this year’s Event Chairs for the 30th Anniversary  Zoo To Do event. Lois then handed the floor to Rhealyn Carter, Vice President of Advancement at Dallas Zoo who reminded guests that for the past thirty years, Zoo To Do has been the signature fundraiser for Zoo raising over $17 million to support the Zoo’s mission of Engaging People & Saving Wildlife.

The Chauvins excitedly revealed the theme of this year’s ZTD event by unveiling signage showcasing the Return To The Wild artwork, then announced their committee chairs and members: Diane Brierley, Mary McDermott Cook, and Ruth O’Donnell Mutch as Honorary Chairs; Cindy Gummer as Big Board Chair; Alex Arellano, Ryan Gummer, and Steven Roth who will serve on the Underwriting committee; Jared Miller, and Aimee and Royce Ramey on the Live Auction committee; Carol and Don Glendenning as Host Committee Chairs; Chef Dan Landsberg will serve as Honorary Chef Chair; Greg Hext, and Michael Meadows will work on the wine committee, and Brett Krafft will serve as Chef Wrangler. 

“The Dallas Zoo is such a special place to our family. Not only because it is our boys' favorite place to spend a Saturday, but also because of the vital conservation work they do all around the world.  When we were asked to chair Zoo To Do we were thrilled at the opportunity to work in tandem with the Dallas Zoo team to ensure the great future of those beloved animals.” said Robyn and Chris Chauvin.

Proceeds from Zoo To Do help support the Zoo’s dedication to providing the best animal care, delivering unique education offerings, and furthering its wildlife conservation efforts. Sponsorships range from $7,500 to $125,000. Individual tickets are $750 each and a VIP ticket is $1,500. For more information, visit the website at DallasZoo.com/ZooToDo.