Hours before we rang in the New Year, 2021 gave us one last hit with the news of beloved actress + comedian Betty White’s death (as someone who named her car Betty White, you can imagine how I took the news).

After news of her death, social media users worked to come up with an appropriate way to honor what would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday on Jan. 17. That brings us to today’s newsletter, which was inspired by one of our readers, Stuart W.

We’re hoping to spark the Betty White Challenge locally, a way to honor Betty while supporting local animal organizations.

Here’s how it works: Choose a local animal shelter or rescue organization (we’ve got a few listed below) + on Jan. 17, donate $5 in Betty White’s name. Stuart’s idea to make it more fun? Donate $1 for every time that she made you laugh — we understand if you need to put a cap on that one, though.

Local animal rescue organizations to support

The Alice Fund | Provides medical care + supplies to cats whose caregivers lack resources to access such care
Chattaneuter | low cost spay + neuter clinic
East Ridge Animal Shelter | East Ridge’s local animal shelter
For Fox Sake | Wildlife rehabilitation facility
Humane Education Society | Chattanooga’s Humane Society shelter
McKamey Animal Center | Local animal shelter
Naughty Cat Cafe | Cat adoption agency (and cafe)
North Georgia Animal Alliance | Rescue + adoption organization
Opie Acres | Wildlife rehabilitation center focused on opossums
Pet Placement Center | Chattanooga’s oldest no-kill animal shelter
Reflection Riding | Reflection Riding’s red wolf program works to save this endangered species
Save One Make a Difference | Volunteer dog rescue
Scratch Inc. | Cat welfare organization dedicated to reducing the homeless cat population
Troopers Treasures | Volunteer dog adoption + foster agency
A Paw and a Prayer | Focused on rescuing dogs in the Greater Chattanooga area.
ChattaNeuter | A spay/neuter clinic that offers low-cost professional, high-quality care for dogs and cats.

“In my head, I’m the ultimate cougar. Animal lover that I am.” — Betty White