Karen Griffey Todd
It’s a tall tale.
When the City of Kingsport was building a carousel, they needed sponsors for the array animals that would soon be running in circles to the delight of young and old. When Karen Griffey Todd (’84) heard there was a giraffe that needed a sponsor, she was ready to step up.
On a trip to Africa in 2001 she fell in love with the long-necked creatures, and now she feels passionate about the real ones and the wooden one that delights children on Kingsport’s now-famous Carousel.
In fact, Rothschild is the name Karen gave to her Carousel giraffe. Hopefully, folks will give a second thought to the serious plight of Rothschild’s real ancestors as they take a turn for fun.
Open gallery

“The giraffe is now considered a “vulnerable” species for wildlife conservation with a few of the subspecies being endangered, including the Rothschild giraffe found in Kenya.”
— Karen Griffey Todd, E&H ’84