Contact: Lesley Albright
(916) 353-5200 x. 3315

(FOLSOM, CA) May 15, 2008 - Recently, employees of Barcellona, Inc., a full-service Folsom marketing agency, took a break from the daily grind to frolic with the lions, tigers and bears, “Oh My,” at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. In lieu of traditional holiday gifts for its clients, Barcellona donated $1,000 on behalf of its clients to the Sanctuary to purchase enrichment items for zoo animals. The gifts included balls, food puzzles and other toys designed specifically for each animal to help stimulate brain development and social growth. The Barcellona team visited the sanctuary to watch the presentation of the toys to the animals. 

“Enrichment for the animals is almost as important as food and water,” explained Vicki Valentine of the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. “Without friends like Barcellona, Inc. we wouldn’t be able to provide the stimulating environment that is necessary to their growth and of course happiness.”

The Folsom Zoo Sanctuary has always been a favorite of Rochelle Barcellona, president and creative director of the firm. “It was one of the first places I visited when we moved to Folsom. Then I became a Parks & Recreation Commissioner and really got to be a part of its growth and development,” said Barcellona. “I really commend the zoo staff for making the animals’ lives rich and rewarding. Since they can’t be in the wild, the staff utilize all kinds of interesting methods to enrich their daily lives. As can be expected, these toys have to be amazingly sturdy and tend to be very expensive. You can’t really buy tiger and bear toys at PetCo. That’s why I wanted our donation to specifically go toward these enrichment items. It was so much fun to see how the animals enjoyed them. Marty the bear was actually smiling and Pouncer the tiger was purring just like a kitten, only a lot louder.”

The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary is a safe haven for many rescued animals that are not able to be released back into the wild or pets that proved to be too wild. It’s a place where animals always come first and where they are loved and supported their entire lives.

In 1963, a small bear cub, orphaned and burned in a nearby forest fire, was the Folsom Zoo’s first resident. Unable to survive on his own in the wild, “Smokey” lived at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary for 21 years until he passed away in 1984. For more information about the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary or to read about the animals that live there, visit FolsomZooFriends.org.
About Barcellona, Inc.
Barcellona, Inc. is Northern California’s premier integrated marketing communications firm for green, real estate and social marketing. Located in Folsom, Calif., the agency is ideally situated amongst one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. and is located at 1631 Creekside Drive, Suite 102, Folsom, Calif. 95630. 

Rochelle Barcellona sits on the board of directors of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and is a National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC) trustee. She is chair of the NSMC’s Sales & Marketing Ideas Magazine Advisory Board and is a member of the Institute of Residential Marketing’s (IRM) Education Committee. Barcellona has received her MIRM designation, which is the Institute’s highest recognition of a new home marketing expert.

The agency can be reached by calling (916) 353-5200, or via the website at www.barcellonabrand.com.