Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Receives $20,000 Grant from the Laub Foundation

​BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Feb 16, 2022 – Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has received a $20,000 grant from the Laub Foundation, a private charitable trust established by Bernice Laub thirty years ago. The foundation’s family trustee, Marilyn Ann Elias of Trumbull, selected the Zoo to receive the funds based on one of four causes the foundation supports: the care and welfare of animals.

“The foundation has been administered by the family and JP Morgan Private Bank after my cousin Bernice passed away, and left money to be invested and donated for causes close to her heart,” Elias said. “She loved all animals,” she added, explaining that the care of animals was a personal cause for Laub throughout her life. 
 
“I chose the Zoo as a grant recipient because I admire, applaud and am comforted by the Zoo’s mission statement of helping fragile wildlife populations and ecosystems, and all the steps the Zoo takes to accomplish this mission,” Elias said, explaining that she, her husband, and her adult son visit frequently. “The foundation offers an opportunity and a responsibility to donate the money where it can do the most good.”
 
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, with a mission of conservation, education, research, and outstanding guest experience. An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a population management program for endangered species. In addition, the Zoo educates thousands of children and adults each year and works with the state on local conservation programs. The Zoo is celebrating its 100th year in 2022, when the mission of helping fragile wildlife populations and eco-systems is more important than ever.
 
Zoo Director Gregg Dancho said, “We are grateful for the Laub Foundation's support. We welcome donations to help provide additional funds for our family of animals and their habitats.”  
 
The Zoo is grateful to its many members, supporters, and corporate partners that help to educate, delight, and bring animal welfare and conservation to the state of Connecticut.