Q & A with Kim and Greg Hext, Chairs, Zoo To Do on Oct. 13
(Featured photo: Preston Hext, Claudia Lode, Kim and Greg Hext, Chairs, Zoo To Do.)*
The evening of October 13, 2018 will be a special one at the Dallas Zoo when all the party animals turn out to celebrate the 27th annual Zoo To Do gala. Event Chairs Kim and Greg Hext have chosen “Safari Soirée” as this year’s theme, and the outdoor venue will feature a delicious culinary adventure highlighting more than 25 of the area’s best chefs and restaurants. Ruth O’Donnell Mutch has graciously agreed to serve as the Honorary Chair, and her son, Travis Andres is heading up a new facet of the event, Zoo To Do 2: The After Party. After the grazing feast, guests will enjoy a live auction followed by dancing under the stars to the upbeat sound of Emerald City All-Stars.
The following is a Q & A with the chairs, Kim and Greg Hext:
Q: Tell us how you first got involved with Zoo To Do. Any special memory stand out?
A: Greg and I love the Dallas Zoo! We had our first “real” date 34 years ago at the Dallas Zoo. Our son, Preston attended the Wild Adventures Camp at the Zoo for several years. He loved adopting animals and was a regular visitor to the Hillcrest Foundation Nature Exchange – found in the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo – to trade rocks, antlers, and items he would find on his grandparents’ ranch. You might say the Dallas Zoo has been a part of our family from the beginning.
Q: What was your motivation to chair Zoo To Do?
A: Getting the chance to give back and work with the entire Zoo family was an easy decision. The Dallas Zoo is a gem in our city and works to ensure that it continues to be a world-class venue for other families for years to come. We are honored to get to work with the staff at the Zoo to make this year’s Zoo To Do a successful fundraiser for wildlife conservation, the Zoo’s outreach programs, and the conservation efforts of the entire Zoo team.
Q: Tell us about the Zoo’s latest project: Wildlife Conservation Project at the Dallas Zoo.
A: The Zoo’s latest foray into the world of wildlife conservation is the soon-to-be-built Whooping Crane Center of Texas, located at nearby Samuell Farm (a City of Dallas property). Through this effort, the Zoo will be partnering with five other institutions to breed, raise, and release whooping crane chicks. With only about 800 whooping cranes left in the world, this effort will be a major step forward in the Zoo’s conservation program. We are proud to be associated with an institution that is willing to take these steps to assure the survival of endangered species such as the whooping crane.
Event Information: Tickets for Zoo To Do 2018: Safari Soirée begin at $750 and are available at DallasZooToDo.com. Underwriting and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Admission to Zoo To Do 2: The After Party, which begins at 9 p.m., is $150 per person or $250 per couple. For more information, contact Makalah.Brown@DallasZoo.com or call 469.554.7341.
* Featured photo by Dana Driensky from the Zoo To Do Patron Party. Animal photos by Cathy Burkey, courtesy the Dallas Zoo.
(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent Zoo To Do.)
