For Immediate Release
Contact:
Gina Stiles, 904-757-4463, ext. 210; 904-655-3632; stilesg@jacksonvillezoo.org
Mercede Gardner, 904-757-4463, ext. 211; gardnerm@jacksonvillezoo.org

JACKSONVILLE ZOO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW STINGRAY BAY EXHIBIT

Seaweed-Cutting Ceremony Set For
Saturday, March 1,at 10 a.m.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ newest exhibit, Stingray Bay, officially opens with a special seaweed-cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m.  Guests will have the opportunity to interact with the stingrays by petting and feeding them as they swim in a 17,000-gallon pool.  This exciting, interactive exhibit is made possible by of the generous support from Jacksonville’s hometown supermarket Winn-Dixie.

“This is the only opportunity in Jacksonville for families to interact with stingrays,” said Dennis Pate. “Kids large and small will enjoy and learn about these sea creatures that live right off the First Coast.”

Stingray Bay is designed to engage the Zoo’s 700,000 annual visitors by allowing them to touch the animals on display.  This exhibit reinforces the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and education and promotes a better understanding of the interactions of people, wildlife and their environment in a fun and memorable way.  Stingray Bay will be at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens until September this year and again from March to September 2009.

Winn-Dixie is the presenting sponsor of Stingray Bay at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  The  Jacksonville-based grocer is proud to help bring new and interesting exhibits to northeast Florida, which follows the company’s mission of helping the communities in which it has stores to get better all the time.

“As a Jacksonville-based company, Winn-Dixie is proud to be a long-time partner of the Jacksonville Zoo and sponsor Stingray Bay,” said Terry Derreberry, manager of corporate donations at Winn-Dixie. “It’s an honor to support a program that makes education fun and accessible.”

The event will feature live entertainment, prize drawings for guests, Jazoo, the Zoo’s mascot and Seymour the Sea Monster from the Jacksonville Suns Baseball Team. Representatives from various sea life conservation agencies will have tents set up in the Zoo’s Main Camp area to discuss the conservation of animals from the First Coast. 

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species. The Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Located on Jacksonville’s north side two miles off I-95, the Zoo is open year-round, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The Zoo is open until 6:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest food retailers. Founded in 1925, the Company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. The Company currently operates 521 retail grocery locations including more than 400 in-store pharmacies in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi. For more information, please visit www.winn-dixie.com

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