Despite Pandemic, Mesker Memberships Soar

Evansville IN

30 August, 2021

1:58 PM

Description

By Sarah Kuper, WNIN Aug. 30, 2021 An Evansville attraction has had a busy year despite the pandemic. Memberships at the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden are surging due to a new community program. The tigers, zebras, frogs and wolves have had a little more company this past year as the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden has added at least 500 household memberships. This spring, the Community Membership Program, began offering a significant discount on family memberships for those participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Right now, the discount is available to qualifying families in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, Gibson and Spencer counties but soon the program will expand to western Kentucky and southern Illinois counties. Expansion of the Community Membership program is funded by money raised at last weekend's Vintage Vines event and a generous donation from the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. More families are becoming eligible as the zoo continues to raise money for a much-anticipated penguin exhibit. After a year off, vintage hot rods are converging on the Evansville area. WNIN is the NPR/PBS affiliate in Evansville, Indiana. We serve Southwestern Indiana, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois from our multimedia facility located on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. For the past several years, the recognized quality of our local news has placed us among the best small market radio news organizations in the nation.