Rocky Mountain News
ranks the Denver Gorilla Run
in the top 10 events to do in the Fall!

Denver Post "Runners go ape to help save gorillas".

Read the complete article published on Sunday, October 21, 2007

5280 Magazine
Ranks the Denver Gorilla Run as #1 as Best Bets for October!

For Immediate Press Release
Contact:
Frank M. Keesling, Director
720-244-9938
Frank@denvergorillarun.com

Denver Gorilla Run gears up for their 5th Annual Event

Denver, CO—Winter of 2008 -- Since most of us can't make it to the jungles of Africa, we are bringing the jungles to Denver, Colorado.   Keep your eyes open because on October 25, 2008, there will be hundreds of mountain gorillas running through the streets of downtown Denver.   The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund is hosting the 5th Annual Denver Gorilla Run and all participants, volunteers and supporters are helping to keep Dian Fossey's dream alive!   Remember the movie "Gorillas in the Mist" ?

In 1985, Dian Fossey was murdered.   The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF) took the initiative to keep her dream alive. When MGCF took over the project there were only 248 Mountain Gorillas left in the world.   Because of the projects that MGCF oversees there are now 723 in the countries on Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   A Mountain Gorilla can only be seen in Africa; these animals cannot survive in captivity therefore they'll never be seen in zoos.
 
Mountain Gorillas are one of our closest relatives, sharing 98.6% of our nuclear DNA.   This makes them the closest link to mankind and as a group we are trying to help save these animals from extinction.   MGCF introduced veterinary medicine in 1986 with a project called Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.   The local governments are convinced that this project saved the gorillas from extinction during the war in the mid-90's. Remember the movie "Hotel Rwanda"
 
MGCF needs to expand the veterinary programs offered to the local Ugandans and Rwandans.   The current facility, Makerere University, has outgrown itself and we need more room to further the education of locals to first, protect the Mountain Gorilla, then expand to other wildlife in Uganda and Rwanda.   MGCF needs support in raising funds to build a new expansion to this veterinary school. MGCF is seeking $150,000 to build a new lecture hall tripling the  current capacity. This expansion will provide four new lecture halls and a wildlife museum to conserve gorilla remains for future studying.   MGCF was the first in the world to ever build an "on-location" vet center in 1986 for the protection of endangered animals.   Since then, 20 expatriate veterinarians have served in the countries and now locals are being taught veterinary medcine so they can take over the task of protecting their own wildlife.   This is a great thing for central Africa!
 
Everybody who signs up for the Denver Gorilla Run will receive a full gorilla suit, just in time for Halloween! Each participant in the 5.6K fun run/walk will be representing a real live group of gorillas that live in Uganda or Rwanda, Africa.

For more information about the event, please go to www.denvergorillarun.com or contact MGCF at 720-244-9938.
 
The Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas in Africa, the preservation of their habitat, and working with the people around the National Parks.