Don Shelby finally had a night off. The news anchor has been a frequent emcee at the Minnesota Zoo's Beastly Ball, but this year, Lee Valsvik took over hosting duties and Shelby was crowned honorary chair.
"All zoos fascinate me," Shelby said, explaining that his interest is ultimately in conservation. "The kind of work they're doing isn't just entertainment and amusement -- it's very important in saving the planet." Though he wore a traditional monkey suit, his favorite zoo exhibit is the Grizzly Coast.
The mascot of the event was the Red River hog, a resident of the soon-to-open permanent "Faces of the African Forest" exhibit and "the world's most elegant hog," said Lee Ehmke, director of the Minnesota Zoo. "It's beautiful, but emblematic of the threats to this rain forest," he said.
With striking red fur, black legs and a tufted white stripe along the spine, the Red River hog would not only be an elegant guest at any black-tie event, but it's sure to be an attraction for zoo visitors.
SOCIAL EXPLORATION Adventurer Ann Bancroft is a role model to many young women for her accomplishments, including being the first woman to reach the North Pole.
At the 13th annual Ann Bancroft Awards last month at the Minneapolis Hyatt, she honored girls and women who are working to achieve their goals. "The heart of an explorer is someone who is full of life, and that's who we want our girls to be," said Bancroft.
A junior at Blaine High School, Jazzmin Brooks, 17, won the Dream Maker Award for co-founding an organization called Girls in Motion Minnesota when she was 11. They're working on a project to educate youths about HIV, including a summit in June.
Bancroft said her own childhood spurred her to start the awards. "So long ago, I was a shy kid, but I had a great support system," she said. "We want to be the extended hand."
