CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — An anonymous $700k donation is bringing the Peace River Wildlife Center one step closer to its forever home.
“This is just a giant step forward to be able to get that dream to come true,” volunteer Barb Taylor said.
The half-acre property isn’t big enough for the animals that call the Peace River Wildlife Center (PWRC) home.
“Here we are small. Here we are crowded,” Taylor said.
Owls like Bella need room to spread their wings.
Fortunately, the new facility will be 10x larger than the current location in Ponce Park. This will allow for more space for animal rehabilitation and more opportunities for education.
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According to PWRC, They need to raise five million dollars. A recent mystery donation is pushing them closer to that goal.
“We are very excited. We received a $700k anonymous gift for the capital campaign,” executive director Tricia LaPointe said.
That money will catapult the organization to the halfway mark money-wise.
“This donor doesn’t want their name on anything. They want to be a generous giver that doesn’t need name recognition,” LaPointe said. “We have bricks available for $250 and $500, all the way up to the opportunity to put your name on the education center for 1.5 million dollars.”
With the permit process wrapping up, LaPointe said residents could see dirt move on the new location any day now.