Norristown Native Donates $10,000 To Elmwood Park Zoo

NORRISTOWN, PA — As Elmwood Park Zoo recovers from an economic shutdown and the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Isaias, they've turned to the community to ask for help.

One former Norristown resident answered the call in a big way.

Lenny Bazemore and his wife Teresa will match donations up to $10,000 to the zoo, they said on Thursday.

Lenny, who lives in Hollywood Hills in California and is a widely successful real estate developer, said that seeing the suffering of an icon of his hometown brought back childhood memories.

“Being from Norristown made me who I am," he told the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Bureau, which announced the donation. "I always want to stay true and believe in myself. As I got older, I wanted to leave a legacy. I want to be the narrator of my story."

Bazmore grew up poor in the local area, and spent his childhood playing football and baseball on the fields near the zoo, biking in the woods and fishing in Stony Creek. He used to walk into the zoo on afternoons, back when admission was free. His life in Norristown, his struggles, his successes, stayed with him years later.

"Being from Norristown has given me the insight on how to be a strong person, a resilient person and how to get things done," he added. "I owe a lot of what I’m about and how I got here to being born and raised in Norristown."

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The donations will come through the Bazemore Family Charitable Fund at the zoo. When Isaias hit last week, the storm wreaked havoc on the zoo, with floodwaters sweeping through exhibits and staffers evacuating 31 animals to safety.

Local leaders said it was the worst storm to ever hit the zoo in its history.

“We have our standard procedures, but when the waters are rising up to your knees in a matter of minutes you have to react quickly," said Elmwood Park Zoo’s Director of Development Jennifer Conti. "Our team is amazing. They did it in such a collected and calm way and did everything they needed to do to save our animals."

Fortunately, the zoo was able to reopen shortly thereafter, but they said they're reliant on public support to keep in operation.