Meet a Cheetah and Dr. Laurie Marker at the 11th Annual Cheetah Conservation Fundraising Benefit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: CCF Staff, 866.909.3399, info@cheetah.org

Meet a Cheetah and Dr. Laurie Marker at the 11th Annual Cheetah Conservation Fundraising Benefit

SEPTEMBER 10, 2102 (Alexandria, VA) — 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 Wednesday, September 19, 2012. The DC Chapter of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) hosts a benefit event that will feature a presentation by CCF Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, and an appearance by an “ambassador cheetah.”

The event, now in its 11th year, will be held from 6:30-9:00pm at the Georgetown waterfront conference center of Foley & Lardner, LLP, at 3000 K Street, Washington, DC. Tickets are $125 per person, $50 for children under 18. Special VIP tickets at $250 provide access to a private preview reception from 5:30-6:30pm with Dr. Laurie Marker, and an exclusive opportunity to be photographed with the “ambassador cheetah” – a cheetah that is specially trained to serve as an educational ambassador to the public teaching about the plight of the cheetah in the wild.

All proceeds from the event will benefit CCF, the global leader in cheetah conservation and research. 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 an alternative way to protect their livestock and livelihood rather than shooting cheetahs. CCF also participates in genetic research and cheetah re-wilding and re-introduction efforts.

Dr. Marker will be available for in-person media appearances and interviews on September 18th and September 20th. 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 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.

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. It is a USA 501c3 with field headquarters in Namibia. CCF is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF believes that understanding the cheetah’s biology, ecology, and interactions with people is essential to conserve the cheetah in the wild. The strategy is a three-pronged process of research, conservation and education, beginning with long-term studies to understand and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival. Results are used to develop conservation policies and programs. CCF works with local, national and international communities to raise awareness, communicate, and educate.