Volunteer Appreciation Week may be coming to a close, but our gratitude for you lasts all year long.
Thank you for the time, energy, and heart you give to support our mission and create meaningful moments for our guests, animals, and each other. You make a difference every single day—and we are so lucky to have you as part of this community.
And now… it’s time to celebrate! Congratulations to all of our Volunteer Appreciation Week winners—we can’t wait to share all the exciting experiences ahead!
It was so great to see so many of you at the Tunes & Blooms VIV area on Thursday night! We had an amazing evening filled with great music, beautiful weather, and a perfectly shaded, comfortable space just for our volunteers to relax and enjoy.
A HUGE thank you to Mike Dulaney for leading tours of the old Elephant House—such a special experience!
Another big thank you to Kara Rhodes and our Development Team for putting together the incredible goodie bags. From Skyline and Graeter’s coupons to first aid kits and beautiful donor pins, these were such a thoughtful way to recognize the time and dedication you give to the Zoo & Botanical Garden.
If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! We’ve set up a “Make Your Own” goodie bag station on the third floor of the Education Building. Feel free to stop by anytime through next weekend to create your own bag while supplies last.
Thank you again for being such an important part of our community—we loved celebrating with you!
Saturday, 4/25/26
Congratulations to all the Winners!
| Aquarium Package | Helen Fox |
| Zoo Package | Pam Marshall |
| Stories & Sips Package | Ginny Franer |
| Trunk Show Package | Barb Dawson |
| Sweet Treats & Scoops | Shannon Lawson |
| Lunch with Thane | – Stephanie Parr – Andrea Dressman – Tana Kirkbride – Marie Markesberry – Lauren Stamford – Janet Brierley |
| Thane’s Belt | Michael Trombragel |
| Gifts From Thane’s Library | Nan Plunkett |
| Meerkat Painting | Deb Maruffi |
| Tessa Painting | Deb Behler |
| Cheetah Painting Experience | – Esther Hooker – Jan Robinson – Christine Slade – Don Fleming – Sharon Leigh – Pat Walsh – Rosemary Hill – Erica Hale – Carol Robards – Jo Shair |
| Okapi BTS Experience | – Jackie Dieckman – Linda Croop – Joyce Steiner – Roberta Phillips – Maria Dewald – Kim Vonder Meulen |
| Goat Painting Experience | – Joyce Rudowski – Jen Scheper – Jasmine Statzer – Becky Budke – Tara McKinley |
| Ori Catching 1 (4/30/26) | – Emily Feist – Debbie Dryden – Therese Miller |
| Ori Catching 2 (5/1/26) | – Michelle Peters – Angila Darcy – Wayne Beckwith |
| Bowyer Farm Tour | – Amanda Behne – Myra Bhatnagar – Martha Heil – Jen Donahue – Leslie Poulelis – Scott Eulenberg – Lynn Ahrens – Diane Vorbroker – Anne Lemmon – Mary Sturgis – Linda Moore – Karl Graham – Daphne Schaaf – Mary Jo Peairs – Cynthia Walker |
| Mast Farm Tour 1 (5/9/26) | – Karen Martin – Samantha Carter – Peggy Surface – Carol Trossett – Mike Camery – Cindy Schenkel – Sharon Leigh – Mary Lou Zins – Theresa Lengerich – Anne Greenberg – Kathy Conners – Liz Mozer – Lorraine Winther – Ashley Tomlinson – Jeanne Smith |
| Mast Farm 2 (5/12/26) | – Bill Logeman – Kathy Griesenger – Jillian Hazlett – Paul Badowski – Marianne Parker – Cindy Thompson – Carol Derry – Gay Bullock – Karen Tompos – Solange Cooper – Tom McCarthy – Traci Karpf – Mark Plunkett – Ted Romer – Pam Dollard |