Ford Motor Company names infant gorilla
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hello, Henry!
Infant gorilla’s name celebrates Ford Motor Company’s 25th anniversary as Presenting Sponsor of The Beastly Feast
The 2010 Beastly Feast raised over $1 million for the 13th consecutive year, and in celebration of their 25th anniversary as Presenting Sponsor, Ford Motor Company was given a very special honor: naming rights for the infant gorilla born to Kuchi on May 22, 2010. The youngster has been named Henry in tribute to the company’s famous founder, Henry Ford.
“We at Zoo Atlanta commend the extraordinary support that Ford Motor Company has consistently extended Zoo Atlanta, regardless of circumstances. They are a model corporate partner,” said Raymond King, President and CEO, Zoo Atlanta.
Ford Motor Company offered the opportunity to name the infant to its employees in the Atlanta area. The winning entry was submitted by Mark Street, Sales and Marketing Manager for Ford’s Southeast Market Area and a member of the Zoo’s Board of Directors. Street is kindly donating his winning prize package, which features an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at the gorilla habitat, to a local charity organization.
“Zoo Atlanta and Ford Motor Company share the same principal of having a strong community commitment,” said Jim Vella, President Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “The opportunity to name Henry adds to the legacy that Ford and Zoo Atlanta have created together in the past 25 years.”
Ford Motor Company has a strong history of supporting Zoo Atlanta, becoming the Zoo’s first significant corporate partner in 1985. Since that time, Ford’s contributions total nearly $12 million, and have funded The Ford African Rain Forest, The Living Treehouse, the Ford Pavilion, the Ford Willie B. Gorilla Conservation Center, and other facility upgrades.
See Henry today in The Ford African Rain Forest!
