PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – The new wolves were excited to be a part of the celebrations at Wildlife Prairie Park over the weekend.
The special occasion not only marked 45 years of preserving and protecting precious wildlife and nature conservation but also honored the visionary founders, Bill and Hazel Rutherford, whose legacy continues to inspire generations.
The park held a series of events over the weekend including their gala Saturday night.
A generous supporter of the park came with a matching gift donation of $45,000.
Every dollar contributed by visitors to the anniversary campaign was matched.
CEO Roberta English says the park has been so successful these last 45 years thanks to the community’s support.
”We can’t survive without community support. We are not a state park. We don’t get federal funding, state funding. We survive on donations, admissions and people coming in here and using this park and that’s what keeps us around and that’s what still needs to continue. We made lots of improvements over the last few years and we want to keep doing that.” Explains, English.
Guests had the opportunity to ride the train for free.
Soon the park will welcome in a new set of younger bears for guests to visit.
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