For the past 25 years, guests to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore’s annual fundraiser Zoomerang have braved sweltering heat, hair-frizzing humidity and pouring rain, all to spend one night having a great time and raising money for a good cause.
As most who have attended would agree, Zoomerang was not only a fundraiser, but a darn good party too. “It’s the best party in Baltimore — there’s no other that can compare,” said Cindy Plackmeyer, a longtime contributor to the event. “I may never see people through the year, but I know I’ll see them at Zoomerang.”
The Zoo announced Thursday that due to financial constraints, Zoomerang is no more. “In the past two years, it’s become a struggle to put [Zoomerang] on in some respects. You can only spread yourself so thin. We’ve had incredible support, and in that sense it’s awfully sad,” said Jane Ballentine, director of public relations and marketing at the zoo. “On the other hand, it’s become much more expensive.”
The decision was made after reviewing the costs and benefits associated with organizing and producing the event, which has seen a decline in both attendance and funding in recent years. Zoomerang, which costs upwards of $250,000 to operate, brought in less than $100,000 last year.
The Maryland Zoo Board of Trustees and Institutional Advancement will continue to evaluate the possibility of another gala in the future. “No one wants to get rid of the event completely, but if we can’t make it cost-effective and bring in great revenue, it shouldn’t be done,” Ballentine said.
Plackmeyer started volunteering on Zoomerang’s restaurant committee in 1994. “Back then, not only did you do preliminary work, but you were there the day of the event, schlepping cables and putting bars together, then you had to rush home and change,” she remembers. “I still had to pay full price for my ticket, and since I wasn’t making any money, I was literally saving all year in order to go to Zoomerang.”
Despite their disappointment, Ballentine and the rest of the zoo’s staff is trying to stay positive. “We’re still going to open on March 14, and we’re still going to do other fun things,” she said. “That’s what we’re focusing on right now.”
