ST. LOUIS - Everything from hotel deals to autographed baseballs, zebra dung writing paper to exotic vacation packages is up for bid as the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund holds its first-ever online auction. Find more than 180 items at http://auction.swbg-conservationfund.org.

The auction is part of the Fund’s annual WildNIGHT fundraising event, Thursday, Oct. 11 at SeaWorld San Diego. The Fund was created to support wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue. "Hundreds of people have registered and bid on items, sometimes passionately, to ensure they’ll win. It’s been fun to see such enthusiasm for this amazing, eclectic variety of items in exchange for such generous donations," said Sheila Voss, executive director, SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. "With less than a month to go, we already have guaranteed tens of thousands of dollars will help support wildlife and wild places worldwide."

Bidding closes Tuesday, Oct. 9. Starting bids are as low as $15 for items including handmade Samburu jewelry from Kenya and autographed books. More than 60 items starting at less than $100 include one-of-a-kind animal art: canvasses painted by SeaWorld’s adorable and talented otters, flamingoes and penguins. Items more than $1,000 include a nine-day excursion to the Galapagos Islands and a six-day South African safari. Tickets to sports events, autographed celebrity merchandise and exclusive behind-the-scenes tours and animal encounters at SeaWorld parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio as well as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are up for grabs.

To date, the auction has raised more than $30,000 for the Fund. Unlike many charities, 100 percent of donations to the Fund go straight to conservation efforts. Busch Entertainment Corporation pays the Fund’s administrative costs. For more information on the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the WildNIGHT gala and the on-line auction, please visit www.swbg-conservationfund.org.

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a registered non-profit foundation. Its mission is to work with purpose and passion on behalf of wildlife and habitats worldwide, encouraging sustainable solutions through support of species research, animal rescue and rehabilitation and conservation education.

Busch Entertainment Corp., the family entertainment subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., operates nine U.S. theme parks: SeaWorld parks in Orlando, Fla., San Diego, Calif. and San Antonio, Texas; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove in Orlando; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa.; Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, is under construction in Orlando and is scheduled to open next spring.

For more information, contact Julie Voss: (314)613-6094
www.swbg-conservationfund.org