Since she took over a director of the David Traylor Zoo over a decade ago, Lisa Keith has always wanted a six-figure total from the Emporia Friends of the Zoo Roundup Auction. She mentioned that before the auction started Friday.
This was the year as the Roundup Auction generated over $127,000. Keith called it a big night for the zoo.
Outreach and education programs affect residents in five to six counties, depending on the year. Keith says education programs can reach as many as 30,000 students per year.
The Fairgrounds Anderson Building was busy with around 430 tickets sold for the event. Top auction items included $7,000 for the mountain lion sponsorship, $4,900 for the lemur sponsorship and $3,500 for a Rolling Hills Zoo package.
Last year, the Friends of the Zoo had a virtual auction that raised over $4,000. It also held A Night in the Wild last August that used on-site activities at the zoo, including an in-person auction, that raised over $72,000.
