COLUMBIA, S.C. — Monday, January 17, would have been actress Betty White's 100th birthday.
To celebrate the legendary actress, fans across the Midlands participated in the Betty White Challenge, donating money or gifts to their local animal charity.
“What an amazing day!” said Katy Cowan, director of Final Victory Animal Rescue.
Cowan was speechless as she recounted the generosity the community showed on Monday. “The outpouring has been unbelievable… I have never seen anything like it," she said.
With the community’s help, the shelter raised $4,000 as part of the Betty White Challenge. “Every single week, three to four different vets at a time, all the spay/neuters, all the vaccines, the emergency surgeries. I can’t put it into words, it means so much.”
The #BettyWhiteChallenge encourages fans to donate $5 to a local animal rescue organization on Jan. 17, which would have been Betty White's 100th birthday.
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Michael Sniezek, the manager at the rescue, says the shelter saw donations of all sorts.
“We’ve had volunteers bring in donations of cleaning supplies, we’ve had cash donations dropped off, we’ve had four people come by and foster dogs," Sniezek said.
Over at Pawmetto Lifeline, staff member Jack Sloane says the shelter relies on donations.
“We’ve had about 125 donations, but I am going to tell you, we need about 500 more," said Sloane. “It costs $15 per day to care for each pet and we have, on average, 300 pets here.”
Final Victory say they have named a litter of puppies in Betty White's honor.
The shelter aims to raise another $1,000 by the end of the week.
Visit Final Victory website to find out how you can donate.