DENVER ZOO CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

Denver

News: Simon and Garfunkel weren’t kidding when, back in 1967, they sang about how “It’s all happening at the zoo.” Just ask Vince Abrue and Lauren Napheys, who chaired the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s fifth Flock Party.

Abrue, Denver market president of IN Bank, and Napheys, deal advisory director for KPMG US, joined zoo CEO Bert Vescolani in welcoming 2,200 guests to the Sept. 7 fundraiser where the energetic vibe put everyone in the mood to “Party Like a Flockstar.”

The Flock Party was inspired by the zoo’s Flamingo Habitat, which opened in November, 2023, and is home to 75 of the pink-feathered birds – 18 American flamingos and 57 Chilean flamingos. With that in mind, an overwhelming number of guests come attired in shades of pink, including flamingo-inspired headpieces, sunglasses with lenses shaped like flamingos or purses covered with bright pink feathers.

The evening also had flamingo-themed drinks, food from the Bonanno Concept restaurants (Mizuna, Vesper Lounge, Luca, Osteria Marco and French 75), and the traditional Flamingo Walk where the colorful birds strutted before an appreciative audience from the Flamingo Habitat to Stingray Cove.

If that wasn’t enough, attendees also could witness stingray feedings, an African wild dog food toss, bird flights; have their faces painted; watch Elle Powell do real-time fashion sketches and listen while DJ Erin Stereo spun some tunes.

At 8 p.m. came the call to head over to Giraffe Meadows for the evening’s grand finale, Flockchella, a somewhat tamer version of the legendary music festival, Coachella, that starred the 6 Million Dollar Band.

Among the guests: Denver City Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval; Christin Crampton Day, executive director of Colorado Business Committee for the Arts; veterinarian/comedian Kevin Fitzgerald; Lulu Lantzy, chief activation officer for the Auraria Higher Education Center; Marcela de la Mar, chair of the zoo board of governors, and such board colleagues as Meredith Coors, Chris Ross, Jason Romero, Desta Asfaw and Youngdon Yun.

About the organization: The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is dedicated to providing an intimate, inspiring and informative first-hand encounter with the wonders of nature. The 80-acre campus is located at 2300 Steele St., Denver, where over 2,500 animals “serve as ambassadors for their wild counterparts all over the world.” The nonprofit facility also hosts award-winning education and outreach programs, along with global field conservation and emergency wildlife response teams to protect species threatened by human encroachment, habitat loss and catastrophic events.

Website: denverzoo.org

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