Dear Friend,
Today would have been Koko's 47th birthday. She passed away in her sleep on June 19, 2018. We miss her deeply and are heartbroken at her passing!
We also know that Koko loved kids, and through her example taught children to be courageous and kind.
Just ask 8-year-old Lydia, who had a serious eye operation. She was afraid to open her eyes, even after the bandages came off. That is, until her parents agreed to let her watch videos of Koko!
We sent Lydia a gift after she shared her story.
Koko has opened the eyes of children everywhere. She gave them a new outlook on gorillas and taught them about their intelligence, communication skills, sensitivity, emotional lives and importance in the world! Many kids have dedicated their lives to conservation because of Koko!
That's why today we want to remember Koko and the impact she had on gorilla conservation, communication and kids!
On this July 4th, we want to celebrate Koko's life and love, and ask you to help The Gorilla Foundation expand Koko's outreach with a generous gift, in honor of her birthday — and her life!
All of Koko's birthdays are special events; however, this birthday is a particularly important one because of her passing.
Today, we are celebrating Koko's life!
While we will miss her loving presence eternally, there is still much more to do to fulfill our shared vision. We're in a race to save gorillas and other great apes (including ourselves and the planet) and the kind of empathy and curiosity that Koko inspires is the key! (#kokolove)
Your gift today will make a profound difference in ensuring our success in the following ways:
1. Koko's Family: Help us continue to take the best possible care of all gorillas, including Ndume, who was Koko's companion here at The Gorilla Foundation.
2. Koko's App: Help us develop a new App that will transmit Koko's language capabilities to other gorillas in captivity. For the first time, they'll be able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly, to both their caregivers and the general public!
3. Koko’s Species: Help us save gorillas in Africa from imminent extinction by changing the hearts, minds, and actions of children, communities, and even gorilla poachers! We've already seen our books convert poachers to protectors; imagine the impact of seeing our videos and learning to sign with gorillas! Remember: "All gorillas are Kokos!"
With your help, we can transform more gorillas into gorilla ambassadors, and more children into conservation-minded citizens!
Gorillas need our help, and Koko shows us the way. It's now our turn to make sure Koko's legacy is fulfilled. The Gorilla Foundation can't do it alone. With your generous gift, Koko can continue to inspire people to open their eyes, just as she inspired Lydia to open hers.
With love and appreciation, |
