LA Zoo's Beastly Ball June 15

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's (GLAZA) 43rd Annual Beastly Ball is set for Saturday, June 15, 2013, 6 pm, under the stars at the Los Angeles Zoo, announces GLAZA President Connie Morgan.  Wells Fargo and actress Pauley Perrette, the Tom Mankiewicz Leadership Award recipient, are being honored at the event, known as "one of L.A.'s biggest and most popular fund-raisers" (FOX News) and "one of the best parties in Los Angeles" (KCAL TV News).  The Beastly Ball traditionally attracts 1,000+ attendees and raises more than $1 million annually.

Perette, a long-time GLAZA supporter best known for playing Abby Sciuto on the popular NCIS television series, succeeds actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and rock icon Slash, a GLAZA Trustee, who were the first two recipient of the Tom Mankiewicz Leadership Award, established in memory of former GLAZA Chairman Tom Mankiewicz.  a beloved and highly regarded film and television writer and director.  Mankiewicz, who passed away in 2010, was associated with such films as "Superman," "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Live and Let Die," and the "Hart to Hart" television series, among many others.  He championed the cause of saving and protecting wildlife and the environment through education and on-the-ground conservation.  He was additionally an advocate of charitable initiatives to promote opportunity for and interaction among diverse communities.

Wells Fargo is being recognized for its pivotal community philanthropy.

Beastly Ball guests, invited to dress in casual or safari attire, stroll through the Zoo after hours viewing its inhabitants.  The event also features animal feedings and "animal walk-abouts" (chats with keepers and the chance to observe small animals up close), silent and live auctions with hundreds of remarkable items and one-of-a-kind opportunities, entertainment by Brazilian and South American music groups, dancing, and bountiful fare provided by some of L.A.'s most popular restaurants.

The Beastly Ball is presented by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), founded in 1963.  Over five decades, GLAZA has funded exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs at the Los Angeles Zoo, an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife.  GLAZA also builds and invests endowment funds and operates five essential departments on behalf of the Zoo, including development, publications, membership, volunteers and oversight of the Zoo's food/retail concessions.  There are currently 73,000 GLAZA member households representing more than 300,000 adults and children, the largest membership base of a cultural organization in Los Angeles, and a volunteer corps of over 700.

Tickets to the Beastly Ball are $1,000 per person; individual and corporate sponsorship opportunities at higher levels are also available.  The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.  For tickets and information, call (323) 644-4753.  www.lazoo.org