Goal Shattered: The 25th Annual Humane Society of El Paso Telethon is a huge success

It takes a lot of work to put together a televised fundraiser.

Months of work come together in seven straight hours of television all to help the Humane Society during their telethon. As people help animals It’s important we recognize all the work that goes on behind the scenes.

“This is, by far, the single biggest fundraiser we have every single year,” said Luke Westerman, Executive director of the Humane Society of El Paso.

As of 11:05 p.m., the telethon had raised more than $175,000, shattering the $150,000 goal set by the Humane Society.

For more than two decades the Humane Society telethon has gone on air on ABC-7, raising funds for cats and dogs cared for by the organization. Every year it takes a team of nearly one hundred people to put this on TV and answer the phones.

“It’s a labor of love. A lot of us are volunteering here, a lot of people behind the scenes have been working on this for a couple of months now…and it’s just all to inspire people to donate and make a difference in the community,” said ABC-7 news director Brenda De Anda-Swann.

From phone bank and camera operators in the studio, to directors and editors in production they all work for more than seven hours straight to ask people for donations.

The phones keep ringing and every ring means something different to everyone helping, from the ABC-7 general manager to volunteers.

“The Humane Society telethon is a great way to take responsibility and help out those animals at the shelter,” said Brittanie Eastwood, a volunteer.

“I have a humane society dog, and that means that other humane society dogs can live thriving lives and eventually be adopted,” said Kevin Lovell, the ABC-7 general manager.

To those behind the scenes the work is worth it, it’s encouraging to see everyone come together, volunteers and donors, to help animals.

“It makes me so happy to see so many selfless people coming out, being generous with their time, being generous with their finances, all in the name of helping animals,” Westerman said.

To those who have donated their time and those who have donated their money:
Thank you

“You people who are giving up your time and your resources, you truly are my heroes, you are the salt of the earth and I feel eternally grateful to you as are the animals,” Westerman said.

Thank you to everyone who has been working for the past six hours to have this telethon on air.
Help us make all this work worth it, call (915) 600-6901 to make a donation.