Happily Ever After (HEA) is a non-profit that was founded in 2006 by 21 year-old Amanda Reitz and her parents Ken and Lois Reitz. It is a story about a young woman having a vision and making it a reality. Reitz had a goal of making an animal shelter that believed in a 100% save rate, a goal that has almost been completed. In 2018, HEA's save rate was at 99.6% with two lives out of 487 companion animals having to be put down. In just 14 years, HEA has been able to pair more than 4,000 companion animals with their forever homes, educate the community, spay/neuter more than 6,000 animals, provide rehabilitation to hundreds of animals with special needs, and provide a sanctuary for those animals that are not able to find their forever homes. Over 200 volunteers help HEA complete their mission, with 300 more volunteers who commit their time at events throughout the year. With two locations, an adoption center in Green Bay and a sanctuary in Marion, HEA has been able to work effectively towards their goal with the help of their volunteers.
Hour of Love
Hour of Love started out as a part of Give Big Green Bay but has branched out on its own this year. The Green Bay adoption center will be open for 24 hours where participants spend an hour raising money for the organization while playing with adoptable companion animals. Each participant has a goal of raising at least $100 dollars during their hour, with the help of social media posts, calls, texts, emails, or whatever form of communication they want. HEA provides them with a tool kit to make their experience as enjoyable and productive as possible. Their 2019 events raised $64,000 in life saving funds from 546 donors. This was the most individual donors during the Give Big Green Bay event. This year the event will take place May 1st-2nd and will be virtual! With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Happily Ever After wants to ensure the safety of all those who are volunteering their time to the organization. From the safety of your home, you can volunteer an hour of your time by clicking a button whenever you want as many times you want. Dick and Sharon Resch are graciously matching the first $30,000 donated by volunteers. Share an hour, save a life.