Pay It Forwards helps El Paso Zoo after closed nearly 8 months due to pandemic
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Pay It Forward team presented a check to the El Paso Zoo to help them after it was closed for nearly eight months due to COVID-19.
" We were closed for nearly 8 months so we lost $1.3 million. Our revenue comes from attendance, our guests coming to the zoo, it comes from donations and also comes from the city," said Joe Montisano the director of El Paso Zoo. "All three go to support the zoo, well when one drops, there's obviously a hole that creates."
Montisano said they saw a big surge of attendance when they reopened shortly before Spring Break.
"We have almost a 20 percent increase, and we are running about a 20 percent increase of 2019," said Montisano. "That's what we are comparing since we were closed most of all 2020."
Montisano said while the zoo was closed, the zoo received several new animals.
"The South American Pavilion is being renovated, that's under construction right now, African bird holding, we're going to bring some African birds into the African savannah. We not just putting in new things we're also fixing old things," said Montisano.
The Pay It Forward team and the Law Office of Michael Gopin encourage people to visit the zoo to help support them.
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