- Funds raised will support the transformation of the zoo that will benefit the animals, guests, and community. Sponsorships are available and donations encouraged.
- Verino Pettinaro to be honored with the Brandywine Zoo Champion Award for his dedication and support over the years that have made a lasting impact on the Brandywine Zoo.
January 30, 2025, Wilmington, Delaware:
The public is invited to ZOOBILEE, a fun-filled dinner dance celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Brandywine Zoo and fundraiser for the Brandywine Zoo Capital Campaign that aims to transform the zoo to benefit the animals, guests, and community.
Guests will enjoy music by the fabulous What The Funk band, cocktail hour with silent auction, delicious dinner, an enticing five-item live auction, and the presentation of The Brandywine Zoo Champion Award to Verino Pettinaro.
The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the DuPont Country Club. Cocktail attire, please.
Tickets are $125 per person (including two drink tickets). A table of 10 guests sitting together is $1500 and includes two drink tickets per person. A cash bar will be available. Purchase tickets and tables online on the Brandywine Zoo website at https://brandywinezoo.org/zoobilee/
“We have multiple opportunities to sponsor Zoobilee and the Capital Campaign, as well as contribute to the campaign in honor of Verino Pettinaro,” says Mark Shafer, Executive Director, Delaware Zoological Society, the non-profit that supports the mission of the Brandywine Zoo. Sponsor and underwriting opportunities may be found on the zoo website at https://brandywinezoo.org/zoobilee/ and by contacting Mark Shafer at (302) 407-4413 or [email protected]
“For 120 years, the Brandywine Zoo has been a landmark in Wilmington and a beloved destination for generations of Delawareans. With the business community and public’s help, we hope to create a re-imagined zoo.”
SPONSORS (to date)
- EVERGREEN WASTE SERVICES
- DELMARVA POWER – AN EXCELON COMPANY
UNDERWRITERS (to date)
- Nancy Horisk and Scott Sherr
- Chief Justice E. Norman Veasey & Suzy Veasey
- Barnes and Thornburg LLP
- CDA Engineering, Inc.
- GEO-TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC.
Delaware Zoological Society, the non-profit 501(c)(3) partner that supports the mission of the Brandywine Zoo, is leading the way to raise funds for the Capital Campaign. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Brandywine Zoo Champion Award
This inaugural award is presented to an individual whose dedication and support have made a lasting impact on advancing the mission of the Brandywine Zoo. This award honors those who have shown exceptional commitment to fostering wildlife education, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. Whether through financial contributions, volunteering, advocacy, or collaboration, the recipient of this award has played a crucial role in helping our zoo grow and achieve its goals.
The Brandywine Zoo Champion Award recognizes the time, effort, and passion that have driven positive change, ensuring the zoo remains a place where future generations can connect with wildlife and learn about the importance of protecting our planet’s biodiversity.
The Delaware Zoological Society and the Brandywine Zoo are pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2025 Brandywine Zoo Champion Award is Mr. Verino Pettinaro.
About Verino Pettinaro
Verino Pettinaro founded his construction company in 1965 in his garage. Over the past 50 years, Pettinaro Real Estate and Management has made a major impact on the landscape in Delaware by revitalizing old, tired properties into desirable places to work and live.
Verino Pettinaro was instrumental in the vision and development of the Wilmington Riverfront.
He cherished the animals at the Brandywine Zoo and donated many times throughout the years to support the mission of the Delaware Zoological Society of the Brandywine Zoo.
About the Zoo
The purpose of the Brandywine Zoo is to engage and inspire wildlife conservation. For every guest and every visit, we strive to inspire awe, understanding, and action for wildlife.
The Brandywine Zoo features animals from the tropical and temperate areas of North and South America, Asia, and Africa. The zoo is small with mostly small animals. The zoo animals range from more common species to the highly endangered. The zoo provides numerous learning experiences, conservation projects, community outreach programs, and special events for all ages throughout the year.
For many of the animals at the Brandywine Zoo, populations of their wild counterparts have diminished, and wild habitats have decreased. If it were not for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and its matched breeding program (Species Survival Program) at AZA zoos and conservation and education programs, entire populations of animals would be in greater jeopardy. The Brandywine Zoo is an accredited zoo by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and participates in AZA programs, such as the Species Survival Program.
The Brandywine Zoo participates in conservation efforts, both local and global, to save habitats, especially related to the wild counterparts of animals at the zoo. The Brandywine Zoo contributes to sustaining remaining wild animal populations, and helps humans understand the importance of habitat conservation and animal preservation.
The Brandywine Zoo is managed by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the support of the Delaware Zoological Society. The Brandywine Zoo is the only AZA accredited zoo in Delaware. This accreditation is the mark of excellence that assures the public that the Brandywine Zoo meets or exceeds professional standards in animal care, education, visitor services, programming, and conservation.
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RESOURCES:
Check out the Zoo’s progress of Our Zoo Re-imagined
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mark Shafer, Executive Director, Delaware Zoological Society of the Brandywine Zoo at [email protected] or call 302-407-4413.
