The Toro Company, Bloomington, has helped the environment and community with a variety of recent cash and in-kind donations to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

Toro's gift to the Zoo totaled nearly $25,000, which included a $10,000 grant to support environmental education programming and nearly $15,000 worth of lawn equipment to maintain the Zoo's 485 acres.

Toro's grant will help fund the Zoo's Mentor and Zoomobile programs. The Mentor Program teaches inner-city middle school students about zoo logistics, animal care and employment opportunities in the zoological field. The Zoomobile and its team of trained naturalists travel to schools and community events throughout the state of Minnesota and beyond, providing environmental education to a variety of audiences.

"The financial support Toro is providing for our environmental education program is critical given recent state operating cuts," said Andrea Bork, Minnesota Zoo development director.

In addition to the cash gift and in-kind donations, dozens of Toro employees volunteered recently to help with the Zoo's spring clean-up effort. As part of Toro's corporate volunteer program, employees are given 20 hours of paid time off each year to perform volunteer duties for qualifying organizations.

"Through cash and product donations, scholarships and employee volunteerism, Toro is helping better the communities where we live and work," said Stacy Bogart, director of The Toro Company Giving Program. "Our work with the Minnesota Zoo demonstrates our commitment to both our communities and the environment. The mission of the Zoo is to strengthen the bond between people and the living earth, which directly aligns with The Toro Giving Program's environmental focus."

The Toro Company contributes a minimum of 2 percent of its gross domestic pre-tax profits every year to organizations that preserve the outdoor environment and programs that support the community. Last year, the company donated more than $2 million to charity.

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