SeaWorld Guests Donate $1 Million to Conserve Wildlife

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Sep 09, 2010, 05:01 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In just four months, more than $1 million has been pledged to wildlife conservation efforts around the world thanks to vacationing families participating in the new "SeaWorld Cares" program.

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The program was launched in April and allowed families to receive a discounted child ticket and have the entire admission price donated to wildlife conservation. Families participating in the program are helping save polar bears in the Arctic, inspiring kids to spend more time outdoors, protecting coral reefs and supporting wildlife projects worldwide.

With each full-paid, single-day adult SeaWorld admission purchased online any child 12 and younger receives a $5 admission that benefits non-profit environmental organizations. The offer continues through December 31. Complete details are available at http://www.SeaWorldCares.com.

"Our guests are passionate about animals and helping better the world," said Jim Atchison, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. "Through this program we are working together to make a real difference in wildlife conservation."

The four wildlife programs benefiting from the offer are:

National Wildlife Federation - Connecting Children with Nature

Contributions from SeaWorld Cares are supporting National Wildlife Federation's "Be Out There" campaign and creating a world in which children have the opportunity to engage with nature every day. Through NWF's children's magazines like Ranger Rick and programs such as the "Great American Backyard Campout," "Certified Wildlife Habitat," "Hide and Seek," and "NatureFind," NWF's efforts inspire families to spend more time outdoors. Learn more at www.nwf.org/beoutthere.

"Nature may be the best kind of nurture and thanks to the support National Wildlife Federation receives from SeaWorld Cares, we're helping kids understand why they call it the great outdoors," said Meri-Margaret Deoudes, senior director of corporate relations and special events for the National Wildlife Federation. "By providing programs that bring children, families and friends together in green spaces, NWF and SeaWorld are helping to raise a generation of healthier and happier children."

World Wildlife Fund - Securing a Future for Arctic Species

From the magnificent polar bear to beautiful ringed seals; from colorful puffins to the tiniest phytoplankton, the Arctic provides a rich habitat. Today, rapid changes in this fragile environment are threatening these species and cultures that depend on them. Donations from "SeaWorld Cares" help WWF continue to work with scientists, native people, local communities and government leaders to combat these threats and preserve the Arctic's rich biodiversity.

"When people support SeaWorld Cares, they help WWF protect the many beautiful animals that call the Arctic home, like the polar bear, arctic fox, arctic wolf and walrus," said Terry Macko, vice president and chief marketing officer at World Wildlife Fund. "The contributions we have received so far will help us make huge strides in our conservation work." Learn more at www.worldwildlife.org/arctic.

The Nature Conservancy - Protecting Coral Reef Ecosystems

Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems. They serve as a nursery for many species of marine animals, protect sensitive coastlines from erosion and help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The 600-mile Mesoamerican Reef located off the coast of Belize and Mexico is the second largest coral reef in the world. More than 500 species of fish and marine species, including large populations of whale sharks, live and forage in its waters. Funds from the offer help The Nature Conservancy's initiative to complete a comprehensive conservation area network that will establish no-take zones for fish stocking and re-population, provide surveillance technology to patrol protected areas, and help local governments create management plans for the reefs to protect them well into the future. Learn more at www.nature.org.

SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a non-profit foundation that supports wildlife research, habitat protection, animal rescue and conservation education in the U.S. and more than 60 countries. Donations from the SeaWorld Cares program will support efforts to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife impacted by human and natural disasters.

Since its inception the Fund has awarded more than $7 million, including animal crisis grants that provide rapid response and much-needed funding to animals and habitats in peril due to either natural or human-caused events and catastrophes. Learn more at www.swbg-conservationfund.org.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S. including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. And Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

The 10 parks play host to approximately 23 million guests each year and employ more than 20,000 people nationwide. To learn more about the parks, visit www.SeaWorldParksBlog.com or call toll-free 1-888-800-5447. For information on the "SeaWorld Cares" ticket offer and the conservation organizations guests can chose to help, visit www.SeaWorldCares.com.

SOURCE SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment