ROANOKE, Va. – Christmas came early at the Mill Mountain Zoo.
On Wednesday, dozens of Lowe’s employees helped give the zoo a facelift.
About 40 employees from four different local Lowe’s stores put in 320 hours of volunteer labor painting railings, clearing leaves and debris, cutting trees, and much more.
Lowe’s also donated nearly $8,000 in goods to help revitalize the zoo as part of their Lowe’s 2022 Heroes Project.
During the Lowe’s 2022 Heroes Project, employees can give back to the communities where they live and work. This is the second year in a row that Mill Mountain Zoo has been selected.
Volunteers from Old Castle and Valspar were also on-site.
Since the zoo relies on donations to keep the doors open, employees said the volunteer work makes a huge difference.
“We are immensely grateful and what they’re doing for us today is incalculable,” said Niki Voudren, the executive director at Mill Mountain Zoo.
“We have a saying at Lowe’s, ‘Hands on, hearts in.’ So this is a way for us to demonstrate and give back with our heart and physically with our hands,” said Lisa Ratcliffe, the store manager at the east Roanoke Lowe’s.
The zoo is accredited by the Zoological Association of America, which means Mill Mountain Zoo upholds the highest standards in animal welfare, ethics, and safety in the nation.