October 1, 2003

Fairway Outdoor donates $ 550,000 in advertising to help Ashboro, N.C., Zoo

Fairway Outdoor Advertising has donated more than $ 550,000 in billboard space to encourage visitation at the North Carolina state zoo in Asheboro.

The Morris company will place 20 billboards in strategic locations throughout the state over the next 12 months enticing visitors to the North Carolina Zoological Park. Hampered by a lagging economy and extremely poor weather, zoo attendance for the past fiscal year fell to about 576,000, its lowest in more than a decade.

''We think this gesture is an excellent way to show our commitment to the state of North Carolina, where our Fairway division has a great many loyal, long-term business relationships,'' MCC President Will Morris said.

Zoo Director Dr. David Jones, DVM, added, ''Fairway's generous contribution should help the zoo build much-needed revenue by attracting more visitors.

''With state budgets so tight, it is very important that we generate as much of our operating budget as possible through our own revenues, and admissions are a large part of those revenues.''

The new collaborative promotional effort between Fairway and the zoo's marketing department was announced by Fairway President Mark Moyer at the company's Triad branch headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., and was unveiled by Jim Pridgen, Fairway's Director of Community Development.

Moyer said the artwork, produced by artists at Fairway's Triad branch, is designed to build awareness and help boost zoo attendance. The billboards depict zoo animals and have clever and humorous captions.

Lynn Minges, executive director of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, said, ''The North Carolina Zoo is one of our state's premier visitor attractions. This unique promotion is designed as a continuation of our ''Discover the State You're In'' campaign, in which Fairway was also a major player.

''These outdoor advertising messages will help lure North Carolinians to discover, or perhaps rediscover, this unique treasure right in their own back yard.''

The state annually provides about 60 percent of the zoo's $ 15 million operating budget with the rest coming from admissions, retail sales and other revenue sources. State funds do not include money for advertising.