Razoo's March Goodness Winners

Last month, dozens of nonprofit organizations called on their supporters to help them win the top prizes in Razoo’s March Goodness contest. So who came out on top? Here’s an introduction to the three inspiring winners.

Big Cat Rescue

After stumbling upon the seedy world of exotic cat sale, in which most of the beautiful animals are slaughtered for fur, Carole Baskin knew that she needed to do something to help rescue as many as she could. In 1993, Baskin and her late husband purchased 56 bobcat and lynx kittens from a Minnesota auction to protect them from slaughter, and brought the animals to their own Florida home. Knowing that the cats would quickly outgrow their home, they soon began building a 40-acre sanctuary, which still houses the animals today and has often been claimed as one of Florida’s top family tourist attractions. The Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary now provides a safe haven to 200 exotic cats, including tigers, jaguars, leopards, and lions. The facility costs $500,000 to keep running every year, so the $10,000 contest prize from Razoo will help to keep the beautiful animals happy and well-fed. Raise money for this nonprofit and other nonprofits.

11th Hour Animal Rescue

Especially now that financial difficulties are forcing many families to give up their beloved pets , animal shelters are becoming overcrowded, and many healthy and loving pets are needlessly euthanized. While there are many rescue groups dedicated to saving specific breeds, 11th Hour takes in any dog that needs to be saved, no matter what breed or where it is located in the United States. Founded in 2004, the all-volunteer rescue organization in New Jersey has saved and found forever homes for nearly 3,000 animals. It’s an astonishing feat for an organization on a shoestring budget with 80 part-time volunteers. “We’re small potatoes,” says 11th Hour’s vice-president, Charlene Jackson, “but we make up for it with effort.” The organization’s $3,000 prize money will help to pay for food, transport, and veterinary care for the group’s rescued dogs.

Students for a Free Tibet

Founded in 2004 by a group of Tibetans and New York City students and supporters, Students for a Free Tibet is one of the most vocal and widespread advocacy groups promoting the independence of the Tibetan people, with students and other supporters in 35 countries. The organization provides advocacy efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people, and offers leadership training to supporters who are inspired to learn more about actively engaging with social justice. Their third prize of $1,500 will help to fund activism efforts and office support at SFT’s new global office in India, which has the largest population of exiled Tibetan people of anywhere in the world.