Cheetah Expert Dr. Laurie Marker at the Redstone Golf Club May 19, 2013 for CCF Benefit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Liz Georges, Communications Coordinator, liz@cheetah.org

Cheetah Expert Dr. Laurie Marker at the Redstone Golf Club May 19, 2013 for CCF Benefit

May 3, 2013 (Houston, TX) — Area residents will have a unique opportunity to help the world’s fastest land mammal, and meet one of the cheetah’s foremost champions on Sunday, May 19, 2013. The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) hosts a benefit event that will feature a presentation by CCF Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker.

The event will be held from 7:00-8:30pm at the Redstone Golf Club, home to the Shell Houston Open. Tickets are $125 per person. All proceeds from the event will benefit CCF, the global leader in cheetah conservation and research. Tickets are available through the CCF Website at www.cheetah.org

CCF’s conservation operations are headquartered in Namibia, which has the largest portion of the world’s 10,000 remaining cheetahs. CCF’s programs include its celebrated Livestock Guarding Dog Programme, which reduces human-animal conflict by providing local farmers with Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs as an alternative way to protect their livestock and livelihood from predation. Annie Graham, wife to Bob Graham, Board member at the Houston Zoo, and former Chair, is a longtime CCF USA Trustee. The Houston Zoo uses Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs in their education programs about cheetahs.

Dr. Marker will be available for in-person media appearances and interviews May 18 and 19. Phone interviews may be arranged on other dates. Please contact CCF Communications Coordinator, Liz Georges at (703) 402-5354 to schedule an interview.
Dr. Laurie Marker is an American scientist, widely recognized as the leading expert on the cheetah. She moved from Washington, DC, leaving her position at the Smithsonian to found Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia over 20 years ago. She is a recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, The Tech Museum’s Intel Environmental Prize, and a two-time finalist for the prestigious Indianapolis Prize. She was named a Hero for the Planet by Time magazine and has been featured in Smithsonian magazine as well as on numerous television shows, including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and the Today Show.

Founded in Namibia (Africa) in 1990, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. CCF is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF’s conservation strategy has contributed to increasing the wild cheetah population in Namibia by ~50%. CCF’s long-term studies analyze and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival in the wild, and results are used to develop conservation policies and education programs that have reached over 300,000 people. CCF is a registered non-profit in Namibia, Canada, UK and the US, where it is listed as a “Four Star Charity” by Charity Navigator, which recognizes sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. People can learn more about CCF or make a donation to the organization by visiting www.cheetah.org.