The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden sends this information as posted below:
Oklahoma’s most popular destination for connecting people with wildlife, the OKC Zoo, will soon be popular for its own license plate, too!
The Oklahoma Zoological Society (OZS) is announcing a campaign to have an official Oklahoma license plate created in honor of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and welcoming Oklahomans to be part of the creative process to bring this project to life. To launch this campaign, OZS is hosting A License Plate Contest and inviting talented Oklahoma-based artists to submit their original design for a license plate representing the OKC Zoo. The contest’s winning design will become an official Oklahoma license plate that will help raise awareness, funds, and support for the OKC Zoo’s mission.
“We’re excited about this campaign and engaging our state’s talented artists to help inspire action for the OKC Zoo,” said Mandy Heaps, OZS executive director.
The Zoo cares for more than 1,000 individual animals and nearly 330 species from around the world. Contest entries should be original illustrations that artistically showcase the OKC Zoo’s current animal family including anticipated additions such as African penguins coming spring 2027. Artists are encouraged to highlight Zoo wildlife not currently represented in existing Oklahoma license plates. While bison, monarch butterflies, and giraffes are revered residents of the Zoo, they are already part of existing designs.
“Custom license plates are extremely popular and we know that people take pride in acknowledging a favorite cause or organization, and soon, they will have the opportunity to support our beloved Zoo. We hope this effort provides ongoing support for the Zoo while creating a fun cause that generations of fans can get behind,” added Heaps.
OZS will form a selection committee to review all art submissions and select designs that will move forward to the semi-finalist round. Later this spring, the public will have an opportunity to vote on this selection of designs and choose their favorite to become an official Oklahoma license plate for the OKC Zoo. OZS will reveal the winning license plate design by May 1, 2025 which will be available to the public for purchase at a later date.
For contest guidelines and rules and to upload official art submissions, visit www.ozsgiving.org/platecontest. Contest entries will be accepted through Friday, February 21, 2025.
Oklahoma Zoological Society connects the community with the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden to inspire conservation action through philanthropy. Established in 1954, OZS has raised millions of dollars and engaged thousands of donors in supporting the Zoo’s animal programs, capital projects, education initiatives, and conservation efforts. For more information, visit www.ozsgiving.org.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. The Zoo will be closed to the public Tuesdays and Wednesdays now through February 5, 2025. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Make it a Zoo day with a ZOOfriends membership! As a ZOOfriends member of the Oklahoma City Zoo, enjoy free admission for 12-months, plus additional benefits and discounts. You will also be supporting the Zoo’s animal family, education programming, and conservation initiatives both locally and globally. Join or renew today at www.okczoo.org/membership.
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