The United States has been hit hard with several hurricanes this year, and we decided to use our annual fundraising to help families affected by hurricanes in southeast Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Two of the charities that we are working with are The American Red Cross and The Best Friends Animal Society.
Our employees got together and ran a bake sale, raffle and donated to each of these causes. The first charity is The American Red Cross, which is using donor dollars to provide disaster relief such as shelter, food, comfort and emergency support for individuals and families affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. While the hurricanes have ended, the American Red Cross' work in helping its victims is just beginning. We have made donations to help people recover and get back on their feet in the challenging weeks and months ahead.
The second charity which is loosely related to relieving families in the face of natural disasters is The Best Friends Animal Society. Like the American Red Cross, the Best Friends Animal Society is helping families following natural disasters, but is focused on reuniting pets with families in the aftermath of these hurricanes. In addition, Best Friends helps animals turned in to shelters to find homes, and help local area rescue groups and shelters rebuild and recover. Notably, Best Friends is the only national animal welfare organization focused on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters - which all our animal loving employees are proud to support!
We appreciate the contribution of over $700 our employees have raised to help out these organizations in their work. Thanks for the baking donations, raffle participants, sweet tooth, and passion for making a difference!