Ready, Set… RAWR! Zoo Move & Groove, the Phoenix Zoo’s annual 5K run, is back and this time it will be positively prehistoric this weekend.
The 5K race begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Zoo Move & Groove is an exclusive fundraising event. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Phoenix Zoo, according to Linda Hardwick, vice president of marketing, communications and events at the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo.
"Your participation in our Zoo Move & Groove 5K not only supports our local conservation efforts, but also helps care for the thousands of animals who call the zoo home," Hardwick said.
The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo is many things to many people, but ultimately, it aims to achieve their mission – to advance the stewardship and conservation of animals and their habitats while providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. Beginning in 1962, the zoo partnered with conservation-minded organizations and successfully brought the Arabian oryx back from the brink of extinction. That legacy continues today, and the zoo is now home to 80 threatened and endangered species, with a determined focus to promote, lead and support actions that secure a future for wildlife.
Working with local conservation partners, the Phoenix Zoo looks for opportunities to use its unique skills and experience to help with local conservation initiatives. Phoenix Zoo conservation scientists raise and breed species at the Zoo’s Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Conservation Center for release to the wild and/or to help understand their biology and reproduction. They also conduct research and participate in field work as part of broader recovery efforts with their partners.
Pricing: Standard (through Jan. 20), $50; event day, $60; hibernate at home, $30; add commemorative medal, $15; additional shirt, $15 and spectators (ZooLights admission only), $20, available at ticket booths on race day only. Note: Medal not included with registration. Support the zoo's conservation efforts with the purchase of a $15 medal. Children 2 and under are free (only paying athletes will receive shirt and food/beverage).
Included with race registration is a commemorative shirt, admission into exclusive ZooLights night immediately following the race, Dinosaurs in the Desert, raffle ticket(s), kettle corn and cocoa, and a “glow” necklace/bracelet.
