A baby giraffe in Connecticut was given a name through public submissions, and revealed on the ‘TODAY’ show on April 1. The name pays tribute to the victims of the awful Sandy Hook shootings that occurred in late 2012. Keep reading to find out the name!
Newtown, Connecticut was the site of tragedy on Dec. 14, 2012 when the Sandy Hook shootings took place. Now, a female Rothschild giraffe, born last month, has been given an inspiring name to try to bring some faith in the future to the people of Connecticut.
Baby Giraffe Given Inspirational Name
The sweet animal has been named Sandy Hope and it was no easy feat deciding the name. The Leo Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich, Conn., where the giraffe lives, looked to the public when naming the long-necked beauty and received more than 7,000 submissions, according to Marcella Leone, the center's founder and director. During the TODAY show on April 1, Marcella announced the name which the center had chosen, Sandy Hope, and declared that they chose it because of its motivational meaning in relation to the Sandy Hook tragedy.
"[The name has] a real significance, especially for us here in Connecticut,'' Marcella told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on TODAY. "We named her for the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy that happened right here in our state, so it’s a really, really meaningful name and that's why we had to attach the middle name 'Hope' with it.''
Tragedy-Affected Families Given Access
Because of the power and strength the center hopes the giraffe and its name will bring to the people of Connecticut after the tragedy, the center will be opening its doors to those families who have been directly affected by the shootings and allowing them to see the giraffe in person.
"We're built for animals, not people,'' Marcella clarified. "But we do have special cause groups, and we're devoting this year to the children and families that were directly impacted by the tragedy. So we'll be inviting them to the center, and they'll be able to enjoy meeting Sandy and a lot of the other animals that we have here.''
What do YOU think, HollyMoms? Is the name they gave the baby giraffe super inspiring?
– Rachael Ellenbogen
More Sandy Hook News:
- Sandy Hook Mom Reveals Daughter's Trauma After Surviving Massacre
- Adam Lanza: Newtown Gunman's Search Warrants Released
- Newtown Parents Cry Out To Congress: Pass Assault Weapons Ban
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