WACO, Texas — Cameron Park Zoo received a $5,000 donation this afternoon that will go to the zoo's elephant enrichment and conservation programs.
The donation was made by army veteran Brenda Gay, who made it her and her family's goal to raise money for elephant conservation and Lou Gehrig's disease - or ALS - in 2019 after being diagnosed with ALS in 2018.
Her love for elephants goes back further, to 1977, when she purchased a stuffed elephant toy for her newborn son, Nathaniel. She explained that her love for the animals comes from the the loving nature they have toward their own family and the fact that the mothers form strong bonds with their babies.
Her interest in elephants and her collection of elephant items grew steadily over the past 42 years to more than 6,000 pieces. She decided to sell her collection as a way to reach her goal of raising money and awareness for ALS and the elephant conservation. Today, she realized part of that goal as she donated money raised from the collection to the Cameron Park Zoo.
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