[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9440]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CATHRYN HILKER

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about Cathryn 
Hilker on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Cathryn is a resident of 
Cincinnati, OH, who has done incredible work over the last 30 years to 
help save the world's cheetah population. On Monday, June 20, 2011, the 
Cincinnati Zoo will be celebrating her 80th birthday and honoring her 
commitments to cheetah conservation.
  Cathryn's work with cheetahs began in 1980, when she brought home a 
young cheetah cub named Angel. Over the next 12 years, Cathryn and 
Angel toured the country, giving live presentations to more than 1 
million people and appearing on hundreds of television news programs 
all around the world. Through the Cincinnati Zoo's Cat Ambassador 
Program, which Cathryn Hilker founded, she and her team of trainers 
continue to take cheetahs and other endangered cats to schools to teach 
students about how we can help protect endangered species. Today, 
because of Cathryn Hilker's commitment and the support of her Angel 
Fund foundation, the African cheetah has a future in the wild.
  Mr. President, for her commitment to cheetah conservation and her 
numerous contributions to the Cincinnati Zoo and the community of 
Cincinnati, I would like thank Cathryn Hilker and wish her a happy 80th 
birthday.

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