support PHOTO BY KEN BOHN, SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER
as the human population grows but also flourishes. Institutions like San Diego Zoo Global are an important part of that mission. What’s your vision for R• I •T•Z this year? Our vision is to raise funds for the zebra, baboon, ibex, and warthog exhibits in the Zoo’s Africa Rocks area, and also to raise the fun at our gala to a whole new level! What will make R• I •T•Z 2014 extra special and unique? Every R•I•T•Z has been special. We hope that 2014 will continue the long tradition of philanthropy within the San Diego community and will allow us all to appropriately honor one of our most unique institutions, the San Diego Zoo.
PLANNING
A NIGHT IN THE SAVANNA WITH THE FARRELLS
MICHAEL “MICK” AND LISETTE FARRELL are no strangers to philanthropy or community service in San Diego. They are active in numerous organizations that range from Las Patronas to the La Jolla Playhouse, which makes us all the more fortunate that they are dedicating some of their time to the San Diego Zoo by chairing our R•I•T•Z gala in 2014. We asked Mick and Lisette to share a bit about themselves and their plans for that special evening on June 21. How long have you lived in San Diego? We have been lucky enough to live in San Diego for almost 14 years. We came here for Mick’s job at the medical technology company ResMed, which has its global headquarters in Kearny Mesa. Our children were born and have been raised here. Tell us about some of your favorite experiences at the Zoo or Safari Park. We have taken our children to the Zoo and the Safari Park since they were very little. One of our favorite experiences was when we visited behind the scenes at the koala exhibit. On another occasion, we were fortunate enough to feed an elephant with the zookeepers close at hand. What lessons in life have you learned that you would like to pass on to your children? We are firm believers that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity and that giving to good charitable causes is very important and makes our community a better place to live. We have lived in many parts of the world and have seen many varieties of ecosystems from Brazilian rain forests to Egyptian deserts, but the one thing that is constant is the diversity of plant and animal life on this planet. It is our job to ensure that biodiversity not only survives
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014 6:30 p.m. until midnight Honorary Chairs Audrey S. Geisel and Ernest Rady Gala Chairs Lisette and Michael “Mick” Farrell Tickets $450 per guest $900 per guest for R• I •T•Z Circle seating. For tickets, please contact Marilyn Neumann, R• I •T•Z reservation chair, at 619-287-5435 or sdzooritz@gmail.com. R•I•T•Z 2014 Challenge For every dollar donated, our honorary chairs will match it 2½ times for animals from the savanna and cliff areas of Africa Rocks.
You can help secure the future for wildlife!
Heritage Guild By creating a Charitable Gift Annuity or including the Zoological Society of San Diego in your will or trust, you can help protect wildlife. To receive more information, please call 619-744-3352 or visit our website at zoolegacy.org.
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
SANDIEGOZOO.ORG
15