When Berniece Grewcock and her late husband Bill settled in Omaha with their young family in 1965, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium was a shadow of the consistently ranked Best Zoo in the World that it has become. “All I remember about it was one tiger in a cage,” Mrs. Grewcock remembers.
The following year, Dr. Lee G. Simmons (Doc) joined the Zoo — first as a veterinarian, then later as Zoo Director. Over time, the Grewcocks, alongside Doc, dedicated zoo staff, business leaders and many generous community supporters came together, one project at a time, to make the zoo what it is today. “We did it piecemeal,” Mrs. Grewcock says.
As a former vice-chairman at Kiewit Corporation, Mr. Grewcock was part of a long tradition of zoo supporters among Kiewit leadership. But the family’s investment in the zoo was also personal. Mr. Grewcock was an avid lifelong conservationist and, having grown up on a farm, Mrs. Grewcock has always believed that people have a responsibility to care for animals.
As the Grewcocks’ son, Bruce, himself a retired president and CEO of Kiewit and generous supporter of the zoo, puts it, “There are a lot of city kids who don’t have access to nature. Being able to go to the zoo and interact with the animals teaches them to take care of the land, the water, and living things.”
In addition to being the driving force (and namesakes) behind the Berniece and Bill Grewcock Elephant Habitat, the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion, and the Bill and Berniece Center for Conservation and Research, the family have been major contributors to Hubbard Expedition Madagascar and most other projects at Omaha’s Zoo and the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. They’ve also purchased land in Madagascar in support of the zoo’s efforts (through the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership) to reforest the island nation — an initiative that has resulted in 6 million (and counting) trees planted.
Today, Mrs. Grewcock is hoping that the Omaha community will join her in supporting the zoo’s newest landmark project: a world-class animal hospital that is equipped to care for our animals, as well as animals from other zoos, and significantly increase the zoo’s ability to be a global leader in educating future generations of veterinarians.
It’s an idea whose time has come, says Tina Cherica, president and CEO of the Omaha Zoo Foundation. Just like any community of 17,000 inhabitants, the zoo’s large and diverse animal population — including four baby elephants, with one more on the way — has varied and complex medical needs. While our veterinary staff are among the finest in the world, the existing animal hospital lacks the space and equipment to provide the care our animals require. For example, currently when a gorilla needs an in-depth exam, it must be sedated and taken to Nebraska Medicine. The new hospital will have state-of-the art equipment (thanks to a donation from another friend of the zoo, Michael Cassling).
Cherica says the Zoo is planning to break ground on the $45 million, 32,850 square foot hospital in January and the project is slated for completion in the fall of 2025. It will be among the premier animal hospitals in the world and a groundbreaking achievement in the future of veterinary care.
Bringing this historic new chapter in the zoo’s growth to fruition can’t be done without the love and support of the community. Every gift, no matter the size, means one step closer to a new, world-class animal hospital. Please visit the Omaha Zoo Foundation website or call 402-738-2073 for more information on how you can lend your support today.