Betty White birthday challenge goes viral, encourages people to help animals

With the oncoming birthday of  iconic actress Betty White, social media has gone wild with a birthday challenge in her honor. The “Betty White birthday challenge” encourages everyone to donate $5 to an animal shelter or the humane society.

White, who was known for her roles in The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, passed away on Dec. 31, 2021. Her passing came as a shock to many who were preparing to celebrate her 100th birthday on Jan. 17.

Now this social media challenge is going viral- to donate and support animals for White’s birthday.

According to a release from the American Humane Society, White had a long love of animals and dedicated lots of time to the humane society and even served on their board of directors. White also served as the chair of  the national “Be Kind to Animals Week” and promoted the protection of animals in film and tv.

“For nearly a century, Betty White has been a tireless and devoted animal welfare advocate and we are proud to have known her for 70 years — longer than any other supporter in our history,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane president and CEO. “We bestowed our highest honor, the National Humanitarian Medal, on Betty because she reflected our core values of compassion, caring and hope. Betty dedicated herself to protecting and improving the quality of life for animals worldwide. She has always been a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, and we are honored to have known and worked with her during so much of her truly remarkable life. On behalf of the millions of animals whose lives you have touched, thank you, Betty!”