Like the famous theme song for The Golden Girls sitcom, staff at local animal shelters are saying, "thank you for being a friend" to donors who participated in the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
"We want to say a massive thank you to the people of Forsyth County and the surrounding counties for their continued support and for honoring such an extraordinary woman," said Amanda Porter, director for Fundraising and Development at the Humane Society of Forsyth County.
Porter said donors contributed more than $13,000 in the days leading up to and following Jan. 17, which would have been White's 100th birthday. The #BettyWhiteChallenge went viral on social media, encouraging fellow animal lovers to donate to or adopt from animal shelters on her birthday.
"We really appreciate the work that people like Betty White do, she was a trailblazer when it came to activism," said Porter. "It really means a lot to us that she and people like her continue to recognize the animals because oftentimes they're forgotten."
Money donated to the Humane Society of Forsyth County for the challenge will go toward general operations, according to Porter. Some will also go to programs like the low-cost vaccine clinic and pet food pantry, which provides food to the pets of low-income families.
The Humane Society of Northeast Georgia also saw an influx of donations on White's birthday, even though the shelter did not actively participate. Sam Threadgill, Chief Philanthropy Officer for HSNEGA, said staff chose to sit the challenge out in order to also honor the memory of Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. The late civil rights icon and White shared a birthday.
However, Threadgill said donations still poured in from community members on Jan. 17. In fact, 168 transactions totaled more than $6,500.
"It just goes to show that we have a community full of people who understand the importance of supporting animals, whether it is rescues or needy animals in the community," said Threadgill. "We're just grateful to have that support."
Threadgill said the shelter sees around $500 to $1,000 in donations on a regular day, depending on the time of year.
Porter and Threadgill each said shelter staff knew the donations were in White's memory because donors would include a note. White died on Dec. 31 at the age of 99.
