CHICAGO – State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes announced that $100,000 has been awarded to the Chicago Zoological Society through the Tourism Marketing Partnership Grant Program.
“Tourism grants are a wonderful resource for our neighborhoods, helping residents and visitors alike to explore the history of Chicago and all there is to do in our city,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “I am proud to have been a part of the efforts to secure this funding, and I look forward to seeing all the good that this grant will do for our communities.”
Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a total of $4.6 million was awarded to 49 grantees by the Route 66 Grant Program, International Tourism Grant Program and Tourism Marketing Partnership Grant Program.
Through the Tourism Marketing Partnership Grant Program, the Chicago Zoological Society received $100,000 to assist in paying for static highway billboards associated with Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s temporary “Dinos!” exhibit. The exhibit includes 35 giant animatronic dinosaurs, an oversized fossil, a rib-cage tunnel and an excavation area.
“Thanks to this investment, the Chicago Zoological Society will be able to bring more visitors to Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Dinos! exhibit,” Cervantes said. “This will afford more residents and visitors the chance to learn about prehistoric creatures and see what it would have been like to observe these dinosaurs while they were living.”
A full list of awardees and more information about the grants can be found here.
