Blank Park Zoo Foundation - Happy Holidays from Blank Park Zoo

The Zoo Train’sengine is a scalereplica of theC.P. HuntingtonLocomotive, a trainthat dates back to themid-1800’s. Duringthe Civil War the firstC.P. Huntington wasshipped to Californiato help lay tracktowards PromontoryPoint, Utah - the siteof the “last spike”for the ContinentalRailway.Liz RegenoldA Year of Success2006 has been an exceptionally successful year for the Blank Park Zoo,marked by outstanding achievements and recognition from the community:• Over 315,000 people of all ages visited the Zoo this year, includingguests from every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.• The Zoo’s Membership increased to over 9,000 member households,with members from 40 Iowa counties.• The Zoo’s Education Programs more than doubled the number ofpeople served, from over 40,000 in 2005, to over 81,000 this year.• The Zoo was named the State of Iowa’s “Best Tourism Attractionof the Year” for larger cities by The Iowa Department of EconomicDevelopment.• Terry Rich, our CEO, was named this year’s “Friend of Tourism” bythe The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.• The Zoo also received special recognition this fall from theGovernor’s Office for its “advocacy of the arts, culture and historyof the State of Iowa.”2006 also marked the Blank Park Zoo’s 40th Anniversary. Over the past fourdecades the Zoo has grown from a small, seasonal attraction geared towardschildren to a year-round Zoological park with indoor and outdoor exhibits,educational resources and activities with wide appeal that crosses age,economic and cultural bridges. It is a vital asset to the quality of life for thepeople of Iowa.