Presented by Con Edison

Annual 5K run/walk is dedicated to gorillas and other wildlife

Registration open at www.wcsrunforthewild.org

Event date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 at WCS’s Bronx Zoo

Bronx, N.Y. – March 17, 2015 – The 2015 WCS Run for the Wild is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. Runners, walkers, and wildlife supporters are invited to participate in the annual 5K race and family fun run/walk at the Bronx Zoo.

Each year, WCS Run for the Wild is committed to raising awareness of the threats facing a specific species while raising money to help the Wildlife Conservation Society in efforts at the Bronx Zoo and in the field to save wildlife around the globe. This year the Run is dedicated to gorillas. Since its inception in 2009, more than 35,000 people have participated.

Registration is now open. Those who want to participate can register for the run or family fun walk; make a donation; or support a friend or team at www.wcsrunforthewild.org. The event is expected to sell out, so runners and walkers are encouraged to sign up early.

Registration for the run is $45 for adults, $35 for children (3–15), and $35 for seniors (65+). WCS members receive a discount on registration. Participants are encouraged to seek individual sponsors for their run, and all adult (and senior) participants are required to raise a minimum of $30 in order to participate.

The price of registration includes parking and general admission to the Bronx Zoo following the event. (Total Experience Ticket upgrade is available on site.)

Participants can choose from two different events. The 5K run for individual runners will begin at 8:00 a.m.; casual runners and walkers can take part in the Family Fun Run/Walk at 8:45 a.m.

After the run, everyone is encouraged to stay at the Bronx Zoo to enjoy the wildlife for the rest of the day. Exhibits like Tiger Mountain, Madagascar!, and JungleWorld feature wildlife from around the world. At Congo Gorilla Forest, visitors can see western lowland gorillas and many other African species.

Prizes will be awarded to those who meet various fundraising goals. For $30 in pledges, runners will earn a WCS Run for the Wild T-shirt; $60 earns a gorilla plush; $125 earns a water bottle; $275 earns a blanket; $500 earns a beach towel; $1,500 earns a fleece jacket plus a VIP breakfast. Each ascending incentive level achieved includes ALL prizes from the lower levels.

WCS Run for the Wild is made possible by these generous sponsors and corporate partners:

Presented by:                 Con Edison

Featured Sponsor:         Montefiore Medical Center

Supporting Sponsors:    Empire BlueCross BlueShield; Monroe College

Media Partners:             ABC-7; Z-100

Promotional Partners:  The Belmont Business Improvement District;

                                         Residence Inn Marriott - The Bronx at Metro Center Atrium

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. weekends from April to October; 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m November to March. Adult admission is $16.95, children (3-12 years old) $11.95, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14.95. Parking is $14 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS;http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia  Follow: @thewcs.  

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