PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

The Detroit Zoological Society’s annual Sunset at the Zoo fundraiser, presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions, is the hottest ticket in town for the coolest event of the summer. Themed “Green is the New Black” to highlight the Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS) sustainability initiatives, Sunset takes place Friday, June 16, 2017, 7-11:30 p.m. The 21-and-older event is held rain or shine and the Zoo closes at 1 p.m. that day in preparation for the festivities.

Sunset at the Zoo offers a strolling supper with tastes of signature dishes from 45 of the area’s finest restaurants as well as desserts and zoo-themed specialty drinks. The event also features live music by The Jerry Ross Band, dancing under the stars, live and silent auctions, and access to many of the Zoo’s award-winning animal habitats as the sun goes down. Attire is “summer chic”.

Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.detroitzoo.org/sunset. Supporter tickets are $175; Patron tickets are $300 and include a VIP Reception on June 16, 5:30-7 p.m., just prior to the main event. Supporter and Patron tickets can be purchased at the gate the day of Sunset for $200 and $325, respectively.

The DZS’s sustainability initiatives fall under the umbrella of the organization’s Greenprint, an award-winning strategic plan to refine and improve green practices and facilities at the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center, incorporate sustainability in all policies and programs, and improve green literacy and action in the community.

Recent Greenprint initiatives include discontinuing the sale of bottled water on Detroit Zoo grounds, keeping 60,000 plastic bottles out of the waste stream annually; powering Zoo operations with 100% renewable electricity; and building an anaerobic digester that annually converts 500 tons of animal manure into methane-rich gas to help power the Zoo’s animal hospital.

Sunset at the Zoo is also supported by The Cotton Family, IBEW Local 58, Integrity Building Group, ITC Holdings, JACK Entertainment, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, Danialle and Peter Karmanos Jr., Service Systems Associates, Title Source and Vivacqua Law.