"Golden Girls" star Betty White: Fans start extraordinary fundraiser

Created: 1/19/2022Updated: 1/19/2022 7:23 p.m

By: Delia Friess

Betty White, star of the US retro sitcom Golden Girls, passed away shortly before her 100th birthday.

A fundraiser by their fans is surprisingly successful.

Los Angeles – Fans of actress Betty White have started a fundraiser for animal welfare in her honor in the USA*, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The proceeds from the campaign are enormous.

On December 31, 2021, shortly before her 100th birthday, Betty White passed away.

The television icon set milestones for women in the film business, was also a producer and acted in films and TV series into old age.

What is less known: Betty White was also a committed animal rights activist.

She was heavily involved with the Los Angeles Zoo and was on the board of an animal welfare organization.

Artist Corie Mattie calls for donations to animal welfare through Betty White's street art.

© Emma McIntyre/afp

Actress Betty White: Fans launch animal welfare fundraiser with #BettyWhiteChallenge

You can think what you want about the keeping of animals in the zoo, but in the end Betty White created an awareness of animal welfare and biodiversity among her fans through her commitment and books like "My life at the zoo". Her fans took up this after her death and started the #BettyWhiteChallenge on the social media channels: On the Internet, they called for donations to animal welfare organizations in her honor. But you could also take part through other campaigns that help animals, such as taking in or supporting an animal from the animal shelter.

To draw more attention to the campaign, artist Corrie Mattie also created a Betty White street art piece in Los Angeles with the inscription “Be more like Betty White” and a QR code with which one can quickly donate a sum can.

The Los Angeles Zoo announced it had received a total of $95,000 in donations as of Monday (January 17, 2022), The Wall Street Journal reports.

Animal rights activist Betty White: Fans start a fundraiser after the death of the cult star

Other animal protection organizations in the USA also announced on their social media channels that smaller and larger donations had been received through the challenge. The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, an animal welfare organization in New York, claims to have raised $50,000 in donations. "For a single fundraiser, especially since it's launched on social media channels, that's huge," said Ashley Jeffrey Bouck, director of the organization.

US President Joe Biden* was one of the first to rule on Betty White's death: she was a "wonderful lady", the Democrat* announced.

There was some false news circulating about Betty White's death: she died after a vaccination* against the corona virus*, and opponents of vaccination wrongly spread it online.

However, her agent made it clear that she died peacefully in her sleep.* (df)