“I need everybody watching, if you guys can make a donation, go for it!”
In just three hours the Big Lake Humane Society in Muskegon raised $18,200 in an online streaming Facebook event with Kris Rotonda, a social media influencer.
He started Jordan’s Way, named for his dog, and raises money for animal shelters across the country.
Shelter manager Velvet Lyght said having Rotonda live on-site was a great time.
“It’s something you can try to prepare for but until its actually happening you don’t realize what type of energy these folks bring to this type of fundraiser.”
Big Lake also had several pets adopted because of the publicity, and in the week that followed raised $4,000 more in online donations coming in from Montana, Florida and New York.
25% of the online fundraising goes to Jordan’s Way for services.
“We’ll be looking at our net totaling right around $16,000-17,000 which is over double our best ever fundraiser previous to this.”
The money will be used for animal care and much-needed repairs to the building the shelter has occupied since 1980.
Lyght says aside from the funding, she values the connections with the hundreds of people who donated.
“Anywhere from $6 to $1,000 - it added up so much and we are so grateful to everyone in our community who stepped up for our animals here.”
