ZOOMONTANA NEWS -- Zoofari, the wildly successful fund raiser for ZooMontana, was such a roaring success last year that organizers have dubbed this as an annual event and have slated Zoofari 2007 for Saturday, September 8, beginning at 5:00 p.m., under the spacious and lavishly decorated Zoofari tent on the grounds of ZooMontana, 2100 South Shiloh Road in Billings.

Zoofari 2007 co-chairs Michael and Susan Gulledge, and Victoria and John Cech, and their Zoofari committee, have set this year’s theme as “Prepararte Para Los Osos,” Prepare for the Bears, in anticipation of the new bear exhibit, sponsored by Stillwater Mining Company, to open this winter.

Zoofari guests, dressed in casual attire, will feast on Tex-Mex cuisine prepared by a variety of chefs from throughout the Magic City, and will expand their culinary experience with cooling wines, beers, music and fun.

In addition to exciting auction items, guests will enjoy an unbeatable setting – a late summer evening at ZooMontana’s beautiful botanical gardens and wildlife exhibits.

The Gulledges and Cechs emphasize that in addition to food, music, and fun, there are other great reasons to attend Zoofari--most notably, to celebrate and support the success of ZooMontana, the state’s only Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo:

Since 1995, ZooMontana has offered cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities to Billings and its visitors.

ZooMontana’s education program reaches over 20,000 children annually; and, as the only AZA-accredited zoo in the region, is an economic asset to the community, increasing tourism and serving over 70,000 visitors every year.

As a non-profit organization, established without the use of tax dollars, ZooMontana needs support to continue offering its animals excellent veterinary care, to cultivate the beautiful and educational botanical gardens, and to invite children and adults to experience ZooMontana’s educational and entertaining exhibits.

Over 300 people attended last year’s Zoofari, a sold-out event chaired by Sherril Burke of HGFA Architects, which netted nearly $80,000.

In addition to Mike and Susan Gulledge, and John and Victoria Cech, the Zoofari 2007 committee members are: Alan Anseth, Tim Brocopp, Sherril and Mike Burke, Teresa Cox, Marietta Reviczky-Dolan, Jim Gainan, Diane Lehm, Sam McDonald, Dave Mumford, Bill Royer, Sean O’Donnell, Aaron Sparboe, Curt Starr, Shelley Van Atta and Jackie Wortsell.

Tickets to Zoofari 2007 are $75. Sponsored tables also are available. For tickets or sponsorship information, contact Teresa Cox at 657-1443, or e-mail her at tcox@billingsgazette.com

For more information about Zoofari or ZooMontana, contact Executive Director Jackie Worstell at 652-8100, or visit the ZooMontana Web site at http://www.zoomontana.org