Edmonton Humane Society gets $60,000 from the #BettyWhiteChallenge

Hamdi Issawi 

Animal shelters in and around Edmonton are thankful for having Betty White as a friend after a charitable challenge in her memory has sent thousands of dollars their way.© Provided by Edmonton Journal The #BettyWhiteChallenge has led to thousands of dollars in donations to animal shelters and rescues in and around Edmonton.

When White, an animal welfare advocate and renowned actor of Golden Girls fame, died on Dec. 31, a social media campaign under the #BettyWhiteChallenge hashtag followed, encouraging netizens to donate to local animal shelters and rescues on Jan. 17 — what would have been her 100th birthday.

Liza Sunley, CEO of the Edmonton Humane Society, said the organization has received about $60,000 so far from more than 1,700 donations that began trickling in after White’s death and culminated on Monday.

“To see a whole new group of people come forward and say that animal welfare is important, and that they value the work that we do, has been really heartwarming,” Sunley said.

Proceeds from the campaign, which went viral on social media, will help the Edmonton non-profit fund shelter programs, including food, training and medical care for homeless and neglected animals, Sunley added.

In Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton, the Companion Animal Welfare Society (CAWS) said it’s “beyond grateful” for the $8,700 in donations it reported on Facebook Thursday — just over a week after announcing a funding crisis that forced it to halt intakes.

With veterinary expenses costing the organization more that $10,000 a month, “these donations get us one step closer to being able to take in animals again,” CAWS said in a Thursday Facebook post.

Both the Whitecourt Homeless Animal Rescue Foundation (WHARF) in Edmonton, and the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement (FARRM), an animal sanctuary near Wetaskiwin, about 70 km south of Edmonton, also reported fundraising windfalls on Facebook to the tune of about $3,000 each — also in White’s name.

“Donations are so important in helping animal rescues provide medical care, specialized health care, enrichment, and food (plus countless other things),” FARRM said in a Tuesday Facebook post, “and we couldn’t do it without your support!”

According to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, about 26,000 people contributed nearly $900,000 to various #BettyWhiteChallenge fundraisers across the company’s social media platforms, and as of Friday more than 390,000 people raised $12.7 million for various animal shelters and rescues.

Compared to other fundraising campaigns she’s seen throughout her career, Sunley said the Betty White Challenge is remarkable for its generosity as well as its namesake.

A darling in the public eye, White was a self-proclaimed “zoo nut” connected to several animal welfare initiatives on top of a television and film career that spanned more than 60 years.

Despite the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, White’s name, fame and reputation made it easy to rally the masses and encourage people to donate as little as $5 to local animal serving organizations, Sunley said.

“She was beloved, and I think that’s what’s made this so unique and special,” she said. “Seeing the conversations online, on social media and just the attention that it’s gotten, I think, has really been a nice legacy for her to leave behind.”

— With files from Variety

hissawi@postmedia.com

@hamdiissawi