Gift 
Family, Community and the Saint Louis Zoo
It may appear that LaDonna and Paul Hopkins travel all the way from Albuquerque to visit the Saint Louis Zoo. However, they really come to St. Louis throughout the year to spend time with their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, and the Zoo is a favorite place to spend time together.
Paul grew up in Indiana and has been visiting the Zoo for more than 60 years. Since becoming grandparents, Paul and LaDonna have a renewed appreciation for family-friendly venues, saying, "The Zoo is a family place. We have loved getting in touch with the natural world with our daughter and her family, and we are grateful for a free Zoo that is such a gift for the community!"
To the Hopkins family, the Zoo also represents their personal values. "Family, community, being good stewards of creation and living with generosity are among our core values. The Zoo is a place where our family has been able to express all of these, enjoying our time here immensely. Supporting the Zoo has allowed us to be generous in a way that expands the Zoo's mission to be good stewards of animals, increasing access to its wonders. We are not wealthy, but we have more than we need. It brings us joy to share with neighbors."
As the Zoo represents what the Hopkinses feel are their core values, their decision to make a legacy gift plan was a natural one. "We have always wished to spread our legacy beyond our family, and family of course is very important to us. We wanted to be sure that any legacy gift we planned would be in good hands for an enduring social benefit. We've seen the wise management of the Zoo and are confident they use money well for the whole community's benefit. We are sure that legacy gifts to the Zoo will have a great impact for many years to come."
