Friday, January 26, 2024
Virginia Beach, VA — Starting on Feb. 1, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center will launch its untraditional Valentine’s Day fundraiser called Love Bites to lift the heart-broken and jilted souls. When love stings like a jelly, make it a cathartic experience by symbolically feeding your ex, corporate rival, or friend to one of the Aquarium’s resident animals.
Participants can choose from a menu of feeder animals that may remind them of their ex including a dead rat or fish, creepy crawly cockroach, a slimy worm, or dull vegetable. The symbolically named feeders will be offered to the jaws of one of the Aquarium’s animal residents—the Komodo dragons, sharks, otters, a toad, and more.
The fundraiser will run from Feb.1 at 9 a.m. to Feb. 14 at noon. The feeder prices will range from $5 to $25, and purchasers will receive a video of their chosen feeder and a festive customizable card for sharing on social media and give to their Valentine. For a little extra self-love, one can buy a personalized feeding option for $100 to receive a custom video experience; the last day to purchase this upgraded option is Feb. 6.
The fundraiser also includes another way to “seal” your love with the chance to bid and win either a Valentine’s-Day-themed seal painting, the naming rights for the Aquarium’s newest Animal Ambassador—an Eastern indigo snake, or a personalized Komodo dragon behind-the-scenes feeding.
All the proceeds show love and support to the Virginia Aquarium Foundation, which provides care for hundreds of animals, provides educational offerings, conducts research and conservation activities, and operates our nationally recognized Stranding Response Program.
Bidding is available online at Bidpal .
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s mission is to connect people to the marine environment, inspiring a more sustainable future. The Aquarium aspires to be a driver in conservation, education, tourism, and sustainability, leading the charge to save wildlife and their ecosystems. Owned by the City of Virginia Beach, the Aquarium operates as a city department in partnership with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation. The Aquarium is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquarium, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports the work of the Virginia Aquarium. The Foundation procures and maintains the Aquarium's exhibits, including the animals and habitats. It is also responsible for annual and capital fundraising, administration and funding for the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program, conservation and scientific research efforts, and the Aquarium's mission-related education programs. You can be a part of our mission by making a tax-deductible donation to support our programming.
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