 |
| Advice from a friend always helps in a bowling event that is less about athletic prowess and more about raising money for great ape conservation. |
|
Nearly $20,000 will go a long way to help great apes in the wild
Des Moines, Iowa – July 30, 2007 – Great Ape Trust of Iowa’s 2nd Annual Bowlathon for Great Apes raised nearly $20,000 in donations and pledges, nearly triple the amount raised at last year’s inaugural event. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the bowlathon will go to direct conservation aid to Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia, where great apes in the wild face an uncertain future.
Dr. Benjamin Beck, The Trust’s director of conservation, said The Trust will be able to have a significant impact on ape conservation. Participants and supporters will be given a chance to vote for one of three conservation projects in the near future.
“The proceeds from this year’s ‘bowling for apes’ would allow us to fund four anti-poaching patrols for gorillas for a year; purchase enough fuel-efficient stoves for homes in all villages surrounding a forest inhabited by chimpanzees and threatened by wood harvesting for household cooking; completely fund a sanctuary for 55 orphaned bonobos for a month; or support a major expedition surveying the numbers and distribution of wild bonobos for two months,” he said.
The situation for great apes is urgent. According to estimates compiled by Great Ape Trust, all great ape species are endangered in the wild. In the last 100 years, 80 percent to 90 percent of great apes in the wild have disappeared, according to Beck.
View a slideshow from the 2nd Annual Bowlathon for Great Apes,
click here. |
Beck credited the Great Ape Trust staff members for volunteering hours of their personal time organizing the event, and said sponsors and supporters are “ever more generous.”
 |
| Even toddlers turned out to support great ape conservation. |
|
“The success of this event demonstrates that Des Moines has a sense of global responsibility for our natural world,” he said.
Dr. Rob Shumaker, director of orangutan research at Great Ape Trust, joined Beck in celebrating the success of the Bowlathon for Great Apes. “Our second annual conservation fund-raiser surpassed everyone’s expectations,” Shumaker said. “Congratulations to the entire planning team, headed by Andy Antilla. They’ve already begun plans for next year’s events.”
The money was raised through bowling fees, sponsorships and a silent auction featuring items donated by Des Moines area businesses and other organizations dedicated to great ape well-being.
Businesses and organizations supporting the event, whether by donating items for the silent auction or through direct donations, were AMF Bowling Center, Adam’s Aquatics, Applied Art & Technology, Carpenter’s Uniform, Chimps Inc., Conservation International, Elements Ltd., Endangered Species Chocolate, Eyebeads & Gemstones, artist Heather LaPorte, Holmes Murphy & Associates, Iowa Cubs, LaMie Bakery, Loffredo Fresh Produce, Padma Gallery, Pegasus Gallery, Robin’s Wood Oven Grill, Rock Bottom Brewery, Sticks Gallery, Tandoor and Trilix Marketing Group.
“We are thrilled with the support from bowlers, sponsors and the community,” said Antilla, a senior orangutan caretaker. He said the amount raised could top $20,000, as pledges and donations are still coming in.
 |
| A silent auction held during the 2nd Annual Bowlathon for Great Apes raised more than $3,000. |
|
Last year, the bowlathon raised $7,600.
Great Ape Trust Background
Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a scientific research facility in southeast Des Moines dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence. When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
