April 24, 2010 – More than 760 guests gathered at Brookfield Zoo for the 29th annual Whirl fund-raising gala hosted by the Women’s Board of the Chicago Zoological Society. The $600-per-person black-tie event raised nearly $1.3 million, which will benefit the animals at the zoo, as well as the Society’s conservation and education programs. This year’s Whirl, themed A Whirl in the Wilderness, celebrated the zoo’s new exhibit—Great Bear Wilderness—and was chaired by Vicki DeMar of Winnetka.