Giving Back with the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Holiday Nights
As a nonprofit, Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is committed to supporting causes that help make the world a better place. During this season’s Holiday Nights, in addition to being a champion of wildlife conservation, the Friends of the Zoo will partner with two causes near and dear to the Syracuse community: Make-A-Wish Central New York and United Way of CNY.
Friends of the Zoo will once again donate $1 of all hot chocolate purchases to benefit the United Way of CNY via the Friends Zoo United campaign. United Way of CNY is a nonprofit organization with a mission to ignite the spirit of community collaboration, giving, and civic engagement to improve lives in Central New York. They help focus community resources to make an impact where it’s needed most, funding the finest programs at well-run agencies, and continually monitoring programs to make sure they stay on track and achieve results through research. United Way CNY improves the lives of thousands of people each year in the CNY area. Guests at Holiday Nights will see a custom-designed sleeve around all hot chocolates celebrating our partnership with United Way.
New this year, Friends of the Zoo is thrilled to announce a collaborative partnership with Make-A-Wish Central New York. It is our privilege to join forces with Alayah Green, former recipient of a Wish and founder of Alayah’s Carousel Rideathon. Friends of the Zoo will donate $5 of all bear stuff-a-plush purchases to Make-A-Wish Central New York. The stuff-a-plush will be in Santa’s Workshop, located in the Animal Health Center.
Alayah’s story is one of incredible hope and generosity, and now we invite you to be part of that story. At just three years old and facing a leukemia diagnosis in 2017, Alayah was granted her wish for a Disney adventure. During her wish, she rode multiple carousels endlessly. Years later, the joy she experienced that day grew into her new wish: to give back to Make-A-Wish Central New York. Knowing just how important their work is to so many kids like her, Alayah wanted to help the nonprofit continue its mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
In an effort to raise money for Make-A-Wish Central New York while honoring her own wish, Alayah decided to ride the carousel at Destiny USA continuously, based on the amount of donations she received. Although she planned for the event to last a few hours, the mall graciously provided her with use of the carousel for the entire weekend. Her rideathon was a great success, generating funds that helped Make-A-Wish Central New York grant other children’s wishes. Alayah still wanted to do more for the Wish community, so she decided to host the rideathon annually. Last year, Alayah rode the carousel 148 times over the course of three days. She organically raised over $10,000, which was then matched by a generous donor to double her impact. During Alayah’s Rideathon, the public can join Alayah for a ride, and their admission fees go directly to Alayah’s fundraiser. In 2025, Alayah will host her fifth consecutive rideathon event. According to Alayah, “Make-A-Wish creates hope, magic, and joy for the whole community,” and she wants to do everything possible to help sustain and grow that hope, joy, and magic.
The event represents the positive, life-changing difference that granting Wishes has for children facing critical illnesses. Additionally, Alayah aims for her rideathon to be an opportunity for everyone to make a positive impact. "Alayah is dedicated to showing the community that they can be a part of something amazing,” Katie Green, Alayah’s mother, notes proudly. “Everyone can make an impact to help, and Alayah’s Rideathon is a very special chance for us all to come together to give hope to these children and their families.” Incorporating carousel rides into the fundraiser infuses Alayah’s Rideathon with the simple joy of childhood, offering participants a glimpse of the magic that Make-A-Wish provides to recipient children.
During the rideathon, Alayah takes special care to honor the legacies of the Wish kids who are no longer with us. A plush bear representing these children mounts a horse and takes the first ride of Alayah’s Rideathon alone in solemn remembrance. The bear, named Kian, is Alayah's way of ensuring that the community always remembers those children and their families. “It’s something that is close to our hearts,” explains Katie. “They are part of the story, too.” Kian, which means ‘enduring one,’ was named in loving memory of Alayah’s best friend’s brother.
Last March, Alayah was the recipient of the Rising Star Award at the CNY Business Journal’s Nonprofit Awards Luncheon. This award honors the talents of young leaders (typically 21 and under) who demonstrate efforts in community involvement, leadership, and fundraising for a nonprofit organization. Additionally, the CNY Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named Alayah their Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy. On the incredible accomplishments of her daughter, Katie says, “It’s phenomenal and humbling, as her mom, to see Alayah’s Rideathon grow into something so much bigger than we ever could have ever imagined. Alayah is an awesome kid with a deep drive to ensure the programs that helped her out are available for other kids who need them."
To help Alayah meet her fundraising goal, the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo will donate $5 of all bear stuff-a-plush purchases during our Holiday Nights event, which takes place at the zoo from 5-8pm, Fridays and Saturdays starting December 6 through December 21. Your bear plush purchase will help Alayah (and Kian) make children’s wishes come true.
Celebrate the giving spirit of the season by supporting this noble cause. Purchase your tickets at https://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/zoo-events/upcoming-events/holiday-nights/ to help Friends of the Zoo give back to Make-A-Wish Central New Work and United Way of CNY.
