Join the Herd and Support the Oregon Zoo…with Cider!
The Oregon Zoo holds a special place in the memories of a lot of us who grew up in the Portland area. It has been the site of countless school trips, summer camps, concerts, and holiday outings for decades. We’ve watched the life journeys of some truly beloved animals, and now that we’re grown-ups, we get to give back!
As grown-up cider fans, we have an especially appealing win-win opportunity. This summer, we’ve partnered with the Oregon Zoo Foundation to help feed the animals that have brought us so much joy. When you buy 6-packs at Safeway and Albertsons in Oregon and Southwest Washington, a portion of the proceeds go straight to our furry, feathered and scaly friends.
To understand the resources it takes to keep our local zoo fed, you have to imagine you’re hosting a dinner party for 1,500 guests. And those 1,500 have some pretty detailed and varied dietary restrictions. Some of them eat HUGE portions. Oh, and you’re hosting this party Every. Single. Day.
It takes 292,000 pounds of food every year to keep the 1,500+ animals at the Oregon Zoo healthy and happy, and every donation helps. So when you pick up your next 6-pack of Portland Cider at a local Safeway or Albertsons, know that your purchase is contributing to:
Male chimp Pericles, who ADORES avocados
Jozi the black rhino’s favorite food, carrots
250 heads of lettuce every week that gets distributed to the black bears, polar bears, giraffes, tortoise, beavers and other animals
$320 weekly in seafood to keep sea otters Juno, Lincoln and Uni Sushi warm and strong
156,000 pounds of hay annually for the Asian elephant herd
…and so many others!
If you’re all stocked up on cider for now, but are moved to help out, please donate directly to the Oregon Zoo Foundation to help sustain this incredible resource for education and connection in our region. Cheers to all the animals!