FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     

MIAMI (June 14, 2010) - The Zoological Society of Florida and Miami Metrozoo (Zoo Miami as of July) are partnering with Blue Bell Ice Cream, and Assurant Employees in Miami on a grass roots effort to raise money and awareness for conservation projects with the zoo.

Blue Bell will join the zoo on Scoops for Conservation drives at local events and corporate buildings offering delicious scoops of ice cream for free. Ice cream eaters will be asked to “Make a Change” by leaving an optional donation to support one of three projects impacting apes, elephants and rhinos found at Miami Metrozoo. Zoo staff also will bring animals, provide information about projects and offer special discounts on annual zoo memberships during all Scoops for Conservation events.

The inaugural Scoops for Conservation event will take place at the Miami campus of Assurant Solutions and Assurant Specialty Property (11222 Quail Roost Drive Miami 33157), a premier provider of specialized insurance and insurance-related products, on June 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Zoo Goodwill Ambassador Ron Magill will be on hand with animal friends supporting this effort.  Ron also will receive a generous $5,000 gift from the local Assurant Employee Activities Committee to kick off this program.  The next drives will take place at the zoo on July 4 during the zoo’s 30th birthday celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then at the Miami Center on July 21st.

“As environmental stewards, Assurant believes in the zoo’s mission of wildlife conservation and education and in turn its Scoops for Conservation program.  As an active participant at the Zoological Society of Florida, Assurant employees and businesses are dedicated to reducing environmental impact and making positive, earth-friendly changes,” said Ana Rojas-Filliben, Senior Vice President, Assurant Corporate and Marketing Communications, Miami.

Monies raised will fund the most popular project of three (apes, elephants & rhinos), selected by the public including some of the 1,900 Assurant employees attending the drive.  Any matching or remaining dollars raised will be used for the next best-liked project, which will be strongly impacted.   Since there are only 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild, chimpanzee populations have declined by 60% over the last 25 years, and orangutans are no longer found in areas where forests have been completely destroyed for logging, the zoo wants to secure long-term populations of these precious apes in their natural habitats. Since black, Sumatran and Javan rhinos are all critically endangered and some African rhino species are already thought to be extinct, the zoo wants to provide additional support to national parks and reserves in Africa and Indonesia where these majestic species exist. As part of a plan to modify the zoo’s elephant exhibits, the zoo plans to build additional shade structures for those days when it gets to be as hot as Africa! 

“Every little bit counts in the effort to conserve and protect wildlife.  We hope that Scoops for Conservation has a long and fruitful future because of the dedicated community it belongs to,” said Ron Magill.

About the Zoological Society of Florida
The Zoological Society of Florida, awarded four stars in 2009 by America's premier independent charity evaluator Charity Navigator, was founded in 1956, and is the nonprofit support organization for Miami Metrozoo. Today it is one of the largest membership organizations in South Florida, with approximately 60,000 members. Its activities and programs include fundraising, marketing, volunteer services, educational programs, special events and member programming. Its mission is to encourage an appreciation for the world’s wildlife and to help conserve it for future generations.  For more information, please visit www.zsf.org or call (305) 255-5551.

About Miami Metrozoo
Well known and loved, Miami Metrozoo will change its name (and only that) to Zoo Miami in July 2010 to commemorate its 30th birthday and the transformation it has undergone over the last 30 years into one of the top ten zoos in the U.S.  Join us for our celebration, July 3-5 with $5 days presented by Walmart, free gifts, music and more.  By texting “ZOO” to 501501, you can give Zoo Miami a $5 birthday gift and support Florida wildlife conservation awareness at Zoo Miami.  Find all birthday party details and more at www.miamimetrozoo.com (www.zoomiami.org as of July 2010).

About Assurant
Assurant is a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and select worldwide markets. Its four key businesses -- Assurant Solutions, Assurant Specialty Property, Assurant Health, and Assurant Employee Benefits -- partner with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments in the United States and select worldwide markets. Assurant, a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has more than $26 billion in assets and $8 billion in annual revenue. www.assurant.com