Ron Jon, Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation donate $2M to Brevard Zoo's aquarium project

Ron Jon Surf Shop and its founder's foundation are donating a total of $2 million to the Brevard Zoo's planned aquarium project at Port Canaveral.

The donations ― announced Monday by Ron Jon founder, Ron DiMenna, and his wife, Lynne DiMenna ― also put the zoo more than two-thirds of its way to its $100 million fundraising goal for the project, with more than $67 million raised since the Our Legacy Campaign launched in December 2021.

The money will help construct the beach-themed entrance complex at the zoo’s aquarium and conservation center. Cocoa Beach-based retail company Ron Jon Surf Shop will provide $1 million and the other $1 million will be a grant from the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.

In recognition of this gift, the aquarium’s entrance complex will be named in honor of Ron Jon Surf Shop and the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.

The 17,510-square-foot complex will be the first area visitors will experience upon arriving at the aquarium. It will include a covered entry, an orientation gallery, a ticketing area, restrooms, guest services, a gift shop and a sea turtle nesting exhibit.

The main feature of the complex will be an interactive dune exhibit, modeled to look like real coastal sand dunes, that highlights the work of Brevard Zoo’s Perdido Key beach mouse conservation program. The Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation has supported the program annually since 2020, with grants totaling more than $55,000.

$5 million targeted for aquarium: Foundation awards $5 million grant to planned Brevard Zoo aquarium at Port Canaveral

In discussing the donation, Brevard Zoo Chief Executive Officer Keith Winsten said: “Ron Jon Surf Shop is an iconic brand in East Central Florida, and we are overjoyed to recognize their incredible generosity — and the generosity of the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation — at our aquarium.”

Winsten said the naming "is a fitting tribute to Ron Jon’s philanthropic leadership and the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation’s conservation efforts throughout Florida, as well as their loyal support of our beach mouse program. This gift will have a major impact on our ability to bring this world-class facility to life, which will conserve and celebrate the coastal ecosystems and wildlife we share our region with, from manatees to the tiniest beach mouse."

Aquarium project details: Port Canaveral aquarium should break ground by fall 2024, feature manatee rehab facility

The Ron Jon contribution will be the third-largest private donation to zoo’s Our Legacy Campaign for the aquarium. The largest was a $25 million commitment from an anonymous donor in 2021, and the second-largest was a $5 million gift from the DSF Charitable Foundation earlier this year.

The gift from the Pittsburgh-based DSF Charitable Foundation ― which is run by the Mellon family — will help pay for the aquarium's Sea Turtle Care Complex.

The aquarium also has been approved for a $15 million Brevard County tourism capital grant funded by the county's 5% tourist development tax on hotel rooms, vacation rentals and other short-term rentals. It has received nearly $1.5 million in state grants.

Groundbreaking for the aquarium is expected in the fall of 2024, with a planned opening in early 2027.

The future aquarium will span 14 acres of shoreline along the Banana River at Port Canaveral.

In addition to the beach-themed entrance complex, planned exhibits include a Manatee Critical Care Center and Habitat, Sea Turtle Care Complex, Shark Flats, Ray Encounter, Alligator Alley, Otter Run and a tarpon feeding experience.

Officials of the Viera zoo said the aquarium project at Port Canaveral is expected to support more than 900 jobs and attract 525,000 visitors a year, including more than 300,000 tourists.

Ron DiMenna founded Ron Jon Surf Shop in 1959 on the New Jersey shore. The retail company ― which focuses and surfing and beach lifestyle merchandise ― has locations in Alabama, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina, as well as licensed partnerships at other retail sites.

The DiMennas created Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation to support organizations with the missions of protecting the health of Florida’s beaches, and addressing issues such as coastal pollution and beach ecology.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: $2M donated to Brevard Zoo's aquarium by Ron Jon, foundation