Big Crowds Heading to Staten Island Zoo on February 2 at 6:30 AM

NEW YORK CITY , NEW YORK , USA, February 2, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Staten Island, New York (February 2, 2017) – Hundreds of children and their parents, civic leaders and early risers are gathering at the Staten Island Zoo on February 2 to watch Staten Island Chuck emerge from his high-tech burrow. During this popular, annual ritual that is sponsored by Investors Bank, Staten Island Chuck is favored to accurately predict either an early spring or six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow.

Chuck’s first prediction was in 1981, and he has scored an 80 percent accuracy rate since then, according to the S.I. Zoo’s records.

Entrance gates at the zoo will open at 6:30 AM. Guests are encouraged to park in the Zoo’s lot at Clove Road and Martling Avenue. Staff members will greet them at the gate and point the way to the outdoor pavilion where the Groundhog ceremonies take place.

Investors Bank’s Staten Island team will serve hot chocolate and provide knit hats to help keep everyone warm. The Bank is sponsoring the admission-free annual Groundhog Day celebration for the fourth consecutive year.

“We are eager to greet our neighbors who arrive before sunrise to see what Staten Island Chuck will predict,” said Investors Bank Chief Operating Officer Domenick Cama. “Investors is grateful to support this special event that brings the community together.”

The event kicks off at 7 a.m., with Staten Island Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, who serves as master of ceremonies. He will introduce all the dignitaries including New York City Public Advocate Letitia James. Also, Patrick and the Rock-a-Silly Band will provide musical entertainment.

Staten Island Zoo Executive Director Ken Mitchell said: “We are very enthusiastic about our partnership with Investors Bank, which is a supportive and fully engaged corporate sponsor. The Bank supports the Groundhog Day celebration, S.I. Chuck’s habitat and weather station, an educational program with local schools and the Spooktacular event in October. The Zoo-Investors Bank relationship is dynamic, growing and very rewarding for all of us.”

During the Groundhog Day event, students from Staten Island’s P.S. 45, the John Tyler School, will attend. In the
weeks that follow, classes at the school will track the daily temperature to determine if Chuck’s forecast is correct.

For more information about the Groundhog Day celebration at the Staten Island Zoo, visit their website or call 718.442.3100.

Investors Bank is putting the community back in banking by supporting many local nonprofits on Staten Island. Recently, the Bank opened its fifth branch on Staten Island at 2200 Richmond Avenue in Bulls Head. Additional retail banking centers are located at 1200 Forest Avenue, West Brighton, 2580 Hylan Boulevard, New Dorp, 1556 Hylan Blvd., Grasmere, and 271 Page Avenue, Tottenville.

About Investors Bank
Investors Bank is a full-service commercial bank that has been serving customers since 1926. With more than $23 billion in assets and over 150 retail branches in New Jersey, New York City and on Long Island, Investors Bank delivers personalized services and products tailored to the needs of its customers. Investors’ consumer banking services include complete deposit products, online and mobile banking, home equity loans and lines of credit, and an array of home mortgages.
Investors Bank is a member of FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.
The website is www.investorsbank.com, and the Bank can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Staten Island Zoo
The Staten Island Zoo opened in 1936. It was the first U.S. zoo dedicated to an educational mission, and the first zoo anywhere to exhibit all 32 varieties of U.S. rattlesnakes. In the late 1960s, it maintained the world’s most complete rattlesnake collection, with 39 varieties.
The Zoo -- located in Barrett Park, 614 Broadway in West Brighton – is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
For more information, call 718-442-3101 or visit: www.statenislandzoo.org

Bob Rinklin
Essential Public Relations
9737682425
email us here