FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a national holiday known as Giving Tuesday.
The day celebrates people financially supporting their favorite local charities or non-profits.
One of those non-profits is Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers.
The no-kill shelter takes care of up to 120 dogs and 60 cats per week.
They provide all the necessities for the animals they care for including food, medical attention, shelter, and the possibility to be adopted and placed in a loving home.
While all of these services are free to the dogs and cats, the organization relies heavily on community donations to stay afloat.
This is why they’re excited for Giving Tuesday.
"That’s how we pay our electric bill, that's how we take care of all of our shelter animals," says Brian Wierima, Community Relations coordinator for Gulf Coast Humane Society. "There are many ways that you can give, but on Giving Tuesday, financially is best way to do it."
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the need for donations larger than ever.
"Before COVID, we were averaging over 200 fundraising events a year. Obviously, since the beginning of April those fundraising events have not happened so we're depending on Giving Tuesday a little bit more than we have in the past," says Wierima.
Gulf coast humane society is pushing their fundraiser efforts through Facebook. The social media giant has agreed to match 100 percent of all donations to non-profits that are given through their site.
The match program has a cap at seven million dollars, so the money given by Facebook will not last all day. Wierima is asking donors to get up early.
"Get up at 8 a.m., we're going to have everything already posted on Facebook. The only thing you have to do is click the donate button and decide how much you want to give," says Wierima.
Anything you have to give is appreciated.
"From 500 to 5 dollars they’re all important for the shelter animals," says Wierima.
If you do not have a Facebook account you can donate directly
to Gulf Coast Humane Society by clicking here.
