San Diego Zoo Ritz gala

San Diego Zoo has many expenses and needs, plus many mouths to feed. That’s why the fund-raising efforts are so important to this valuable institution that helps all of us learn and grow in our understanding of our responsibility as citizens of the planet. R*I*T*Z: Rendezvous In The Zoo, billed as A Night in Paradise, invites you to help the zoo’s mission and its causes by attending the annual gala held at the zoo. Sure, it costs quite a bit ($450 general seating, $900 for preferred circle seats.)  It clearly is not for everyone, and certainly not an event you should attend if you can’t afford it. But for those who can, there’s no better cause and no better place to be on June 19, 2010 from 7 p.m. to midnight, than at the zoo.

The Zoo’s black-tie event, now in its 27th year,  will take place under the stars at the San Diego Zoo. Highlights include lavish hors d’oeuvres, hosted cocktails, a silent auction, a gourmet dinner, conservation ambassador Joan Embery and animal friends, and dancing to the music of Wayne Foster Entertainment.

More than 90 volunteers are planning a magical party where guests can escape to a relaxing, elegant, and colorful tropical paradise for the evening. A Night In Paradise will create an affair that will be an unforgettable evening of dining and dancing. To purchase tickets, please call R*I*T*Z reservation chair Marilyn Neumann at (619) 287-5435. See more about the zoo.