The initial project these funds will help support is a new gateway structure, which will help direct and welcome Zoo guests to the popular destination.

“Thanks to the generosity of our long-time partners at Wells Fargo, we are excited to begin the refresh process to one of the Zoo’s most popular spaces,” says Tony Grundhauser, executive director of the Minnesota Zoo Foundation. “It is generous community support like this that helps the Minnesota Zoo continue to fulfill its mission of connecting people, animals and the natural world to save wildlife in fun and engaging ways.”

Construction on the gateway structure is currently in progress and the project is scheduled to be complete in early summer 2018. Along with welcoming Zoo guests to the Farm, this structure will also depict a historical timeline of farming in Minnesota, including what farming may look like in the future.

Wells Fargo has been a corporate partner of the Minnesota Zoo since the Zoo’s inception in 1978. Along with continued philanthropic support totaling more than $2.8 million, Wells Fargo has also had a consistent presence on the Minnesota Zoo Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“Wells Fargo is proud to support such a great organization like the Minnesota Zoo who helps shape our state’s cultural fabric and serves as a point of pride for all Minnesotans,” said Joe Ravens, Wells Fargo region bank president.

The Minnesota Zoo’s seasonal Wells Fargo Family Farm opened in the summer of 2000. It is a working farm to help connect Zoo guests with Minnesota’s prominent farming heritage. Activities include daily cow milking demonstrations and a goat contact yard, as well as opportunities to engage with pigs, horse, chickens and more. The Farm opens each spring with the popular Farm Babies event and remains open through each November.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,400 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 268,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2017 rankings of America’s largest corporations. The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Wells Fargo No. 3 on its most recent list of the top corporate cash philanthropists. In 2016, Wells Fargo donated $281.3 million to 14,900 nonprofits and Wells Fargo team members volunteered 1.73 million hours with 50,000 nonprofits. Wells Fargo’s corporate social responsibility efforts are focused on three priorities: economic empowerment in underserved communities, environmental sustainability, and advancing diversity and social inclusion. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

About the Minnesota Zoo

The Minnesota Zoo is a year-round destination located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. The Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and the natural world to save wildlife. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).