The Betty White Challenge Raises Over $13,000 for Ulster SPCA

Thank you for being man's best friend.

Monday, January 17th, 2022, would have been actress Betty White's 100th birthday. Sadly, the actress and comedian passed away on New Year's Eve after suffering a stroke on Christmas day.

Tributes across the world came pouring in at the beginning of the month. However, one tribute idea went viral and landed its own version in the Hudson Valley.

If you're unfamiliar with Betty White's life outside of the limelight, besides being America's sweetheart, White was an animal lover. Variety Fair shared a quote from Betty which she wrote "Animals don’t lie. Animals don’t criticize. If animals have moody days, they handle them better than humans do." They also share that Betty said to have stayed in show business "to pay for my animal business.”

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The Betty White Challenge Was Born

With that being said, The Betty White Challenge came to light. A Golden Girls fan account suggested everyone donate $5 to their favorite animal rescue or charity in honor of Ms. White's 100th Birthday.

Several Hudson Valley animal rescues shared that they would be taking part in The Betty White Challenge. One rescue shared that not only did they reach their initial goal, but they also received over $10,000 in donations.

The Ulster County SPCA shared their Betty White Challenge updates throughout the day on Monday and shared:

Wow. This. Is. Amazing! What a birthday party this is for #BettyWhite! We have raised our goal to $10,000 thanks to all of the incredible support we have received today! What a difference you are all making for the animals! Let's keep it going!
#BettyWhiteChallenge #thankyouforbeingafriend #donatelocal

As of the last check, The Betty White Challenge brought in $13,421 for the Ulster County SPCA. Donations can still be made through the Ulster County SPCA Facebook page.

Other local animal rescues that took part in the Betty White Challenge include, ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) in Beacon, Take Me Home Pet Rescue in Milton and Pets Alive in Middletown.

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Filed Under: Betty White Challenge, Esopus, Hudson Valley, Kingston, rosendale, Ulster County SPCA

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