January 17th of this year would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday.
In honour of the legend Betty White – a long time animal lover and advocate for animal welfare, a viral trend encourages fans to donate to animal shelters and rescue operations in her name. By using the hashtag #BettyWhiteChallenge, word spread all over social media.
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Betty, sadly passed on December 31st, 2021, at the age of 99, had a career in the television and film industry that spanned over 60 years. She was a pioneer in the entertainment industry, one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. The American comedic actress was most well known for television sitcoms specifically her work in The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Back in 2010, she was also the oldest person to ever host Saturday Night Live.
Aside from her entertainment career, she was an outspoken animal lover and was known for her charitable work involving animals. She worked closely with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo ever since it opened in 1966. This zoo was one of the main recipients of the donations receiving over $94,000 in her honour. Even close to home, local foundations saw a huge spike in donations. BCSPCA saw over $400,000 come in.
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Many of the foundations, rescue shelters and zoos explain that they are so thankful, and the sheer amount of donations is unbelievable, it is also really about the awareness that this viral challenge has brought.
January is usually one of the worsts times of the year for donations to animal shelters and rescues because most people are tapped out from their holiday expenses so this new trend will hopefully continue over the years to help raise money in Betty’s name.