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These remarks were presented live during the Casino
Night Party on August 29th, 2009, by Dr. K. Simba Wiltz at the Cocoa Beach
Country Club in Cocoa Beach, FL.
On behalf of the Central
Florida Animal Reserve, I'd like to formally thank the Kelly Slater Sculpture
project for their efforts and collaboration on this wonderful night.
Thanks too, to the many CFAR volunteers that spend their time and effort making
the lives of these cats possible. I'd also
like to recognize the police, fire, and military members in attendance tonight,
who provide society with the critical services upon which we all depend. And to
you, ladies and gentlemen, I extend my most heartfelt thanks for helping raise
funds for two very worthy causes.
CFAR
originated in 1996, with the purpose of stewarding the big cats in our care and
educating the public about their presence. In that regard, we've been around a
long time.
In
1996 Michael Jordan won a championship after coming out of his first
retirement. It would be two years before the start of a company called
'Google'. Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics. The world has changed much
since then, not just for all of us, but for our residents as well.
In
2007 we renewed our focus—centered on our core beliefs of Compassion,
Conservation, and Commitment. In the last two years, we have taken magnificent
strides toward fulfilling the ambitious goals laid out before us. The highest
priority, as always, remains the successful guardianship of the 52 lions,
tigers, leopards, and cougars that we provide for on a daily basis. Now, we
continue the push toward allowing our sanctuary to achieve financial
independence, and long term security.
As of
April 24 of this year, we have been tasked by the Brevard Board of County
Commissioners to move our facility of nine years to a new location. On that
date in April, we were given two years to complete this task -- adding the
pressure of time to our planning. This new facility, built with our residents in
mind, will be bigger, better designed, and ultimately open to the public—such
that we may expand our focus on education, and provide the chance for others to
appreciate the wonder inherent to the big cats. Yet with this opportunity comes
with steep costs. Just to get up and running, we estimate it will take a quarter
of a million dollars—raised and utilized, in less than two years.
As
you may imagine, the consequences of failure are dire. And I do not say this to
over dramatize or sensationalize--I think you will agree that our world is
better off with the living presence of these great cats, than the haunting
echoes of the alternative.
I
want to share with you a vision. At the softest glow of the morning, as the
first bars of sunshine casts its glow on dew-laden grass, a sound breaks the
silence. Our Lions, compelled by nature's instinct, call to each other in
greeting. The Tigers, with their burnt orange coats interrupted by the
fingerprint of earthen stripes, are unfazed by this display as they yawn and
stretch for the morning activities. Leopards watch from lofted perches, drifting
in and out of sleep from their nocturnal dance. And the cougars, America's great
cat, languidly groom their paws with the thrumming purr of a powerboat.
All
are safe.
All
are secure.
All
are ready to make an appearance, as highly trained volunteers bring members of
the public into the compelling world of the big cats. By the end of the day,
the impact of the experience will be spread to every home, workplace, and heart
as visitors come to appreciate them-- and through appreciation, desire to
conserve.
This
is our vision.
This
is our dream.
And
this…is a preview.
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