AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S AUTHOR TO READ AT PALM BEACH ZOO
Grant from PNC Foundation to expand conservation &
educational youth reading program
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 19, 2012 – The Palm Beach Zoo has received a $4,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to expand its
conservation and educational youth reading program, which includes hosting Harriett Ruderman, the award-winning author. Ruderman will read from her children’s book, The Laceyville Monkeys, on Saturday, June 30 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the zoo and sign books after each presentation.
The grant from the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), will allow the Palm Beach Zoo to offer creative, fun and entertaining methods of introducing some of its 1,400 animals to children through the written word. PNC provided the funding in support of Grow Up Great, its bilingual program in early childhood education.
Ruderman is a communications professional who has worked with top international clients in industries ranging from eyewear and eye care to non-profit organizations. Her first children’s book, The Laceyville Monkeys, Say the Right Words, was published in 2009 and is dedicated to bringing the power and importance of warm, loving words to children everywhere.
The second book in the Laceyville Monkeys series, Frosty Freeze Friday, The Sharing Day, brings her beloved Laceyville characters together again for the annual ice cream eating contest – a memorable day filled with fun and the joys of sharing.
Ruderman lives with her husband in West Palm Beach Florida. Her inspiring books and precious monkey puppets are in demand in schools, libraries, charitable organizations and venues dedicated to the education and character development of children.
“Our support of the Palm Beach Zoo’s youth reading program is a strategic investment in the future of our children in the area,” said Craig Grant, PNC regional president for Eastern Florida, speaking on behalf of the PNC Foundation. “It is a perfect example of how teaching preschoolers what they see at the zoo can be reinforced by experiencing it through the pages of a book.”
For more information on this event: www.palmbeachzoo.org or call (561) 533-0887 and to learn more about the PNC Grow Up Great initiative, go to www.pncgrowupgreat.com.
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About PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $350 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
About the Zoological Society
The Zoological Society of the Palm Beaches exists to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat, and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world. We advance our conservation mission through endangered species propagation, education, health and wellness, field research, and conservation medicine. Our sustainable and responsible business practices and local, national and global partnerships enable the Palm Beach Zoo to support national and international conservation, species survival, and habitat preservation