You Can Win A Painting By This Adorable Hippo If You Find A Golden Ticket
In 2017, the Cincinnati Zoo received a lot of attention thanks to its new family member: a premature baby hippo named Fiona. As reported by CNN, Fiona was born six weeks early, had trouble walking, and was rather tiny for a baby hippo at 29 pounds. Zoo officials acted quickly, with its staff members forming "Team Fiona" to look after the adorable baby hippo and cater to all her needs. Nurses from Cincinnati Children's Hospital pitched in as well, and news started to spread quickly.
Eventually, Fiona became a beloved star on the zoo's social media accounts. Despite the fact that COVID led to a lot of physical restrictions, Fiona continues to entertain her fans online. A few days ago, a post on the Cincinnati Zoo's Instagram account declared that they've arranged a virtual birthday party for the hippo, who will turn 5 on January 24.
Fiona's birthday is certainly a big deal. That's why Graeter's Ice Cream has announced its participation in Fiona's birthday celebration via a "Golden Ticket" campaign for fans. Part of the proceeds from the campaign will be donated to the Cincinnati Zoo (via WLWT News 5).
The campaign looks exciting
Fans of the popular 2005 film "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" will be able to relate to this one. Five Graeter's Fiona milk chocolate bars will have golden tickets hidden inside them. Each fan with a golden ticket will receive a beautiful painting made by Fiona herself (via Instagram). The catch? The chocolate bars will only be sold in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. Per WLWT News 5, the company has produced a grand total of 7,500 Fiona Bars for the occasion, which are available for $5 each.
For those who aren't aware, Fiona the Hippo creates impressive artwork by using "animal-friendly paint" and touching a canvas to create an adorable "kiss" painting. Graeter's Chief of Retail Operations Chip Graeter remarked that he's been told that the bars are expected to "sell out very quickly," despite the fact that thousands of them are now up for grabs.
Understandably, fans are pretty excited about these golden tickets. A commentator wrote on Graeter's Instagram post, "Fiona and chocolate two of my favorite things," while another fan tagged their friends and told them, "This is a dream combination."