ACES Raises Over $1,100 With Valentine’s “Heal Your Heartbreak” Croc Feeding Fundraiser

ACES Wildlife Rescue, a registered nonprofit and one of Belize’s largest wildlife sanctuaries, hosted a quirky Valentine’s Day fundraiser in San Pedro, drawing donors with a crocodile-sized twist on heartbreak. The event, titled “Heal Your Heartbreak,” ran during the first two weeks of February at the ACES sanctuary, located just south of Grand Caribe. Sponsors purchased a dead chicken, named it after an ex, and received a video of it being fed to one of the sanctuary’s crocodiles. The initiative raised over $1,100 to support ACES’ rescue operations.
The leadership team conceived the idea after seeing a similar fundraiser at a zoo that involved cockroaches. They adapted the concept for ACES’ crocodiles, promoting it as, “Name a dead chicken after your ex, and we’ll feed it to our crocs.” The novel approach blended dark humor with an essential part of sanctuary operations, regular animal feedings, creating a fundraiser unlike any other on the island.
While ACES feeds its sanctuary animals regularly, feeding wild crocodiles remains illegal in Belize. The fundraiser repurposed routine feedings into a creative donor experience, building on the sanctuary’s daily tours held at 11AM and 3PM, except on Sundays.
ACES Board Chairman Ben Sept emphasized the balance between entertainment and responsibility. “ACES doesn’t condone feeding wild crocodiles, which is illegal here in Belize, but as our animals at the sanctuary require regular feedings, it was a way to let donors have a little fun while raising money for our nonprofit,” he said.
Due to continued interest, the fundraiser will remain open for a few more days to accommodate additional requests from participants hoping to submit the names of friends, colleagues, or even bosses. Those interested can sign up at: https://aceswildliferescue.betterworld.org/campaigns/heal-your-heartbreak-valentines.
The success of the event signals growing support for ACES and may inspire more creative fundraising campaigns. The organization’s next event is the Cluckington Challenge scheduled for March 7th, with more details to be announced on the ACES Wildlife Rescue Facebook page.