Well you knew it was only a matter of time before someone with too much time on their hands and too few dollars in their bank account tried to capitalize on this. And here she is, right on cue.
The entire internet has been glued to the baby cam for days now, and Animal Adventure Park has created an official GoFundMe campaign to offer the anxious internet a chance to throw money at them. “We were hesitant to even launch this initiative, but the overwhelming generosity has demanded a platform in which to give. So, please, give away,” they write. But, keep one thing in mind. “Please note, we are a for profit organization, and your conributions [sic] are documented as gifts to the facility. The contribution is not tax deductible,” they warn. That campaign has gathered over $9300 of a $50k goal.
Well shit, this seems to be a pretty good money-maker. Time for the scampaigning cockroaches to come skittering out from under the fridge.
For the one fake fundraiser we found, Facebook-verified campaign organizer Elana Boumila Reithoffer writes in her plea for $5000:
Animal Adventure: For those of you wishing to sponsor and support our giraffe; April, Oliver, and their expected calf here is a safe and secure way to make your contribution. The funds generated will be used to offset their annval care at our facility. Anything generated. Above and beyond the goal will be dedicate to improvements of the giraffe. Encounter deck shade stations in the exhibit. Energy efficient upgrade to their barn. And the installation of a permanent. Giraffe cam at Animal Adventure in Harpursville NY.
Help Spread The Word. And Please Share This. Thank You
So, she copied the Animal Adventure Park campaign word-for-word. You’d think they’d put in a small bit of effort writing their own copy but LOL, that takes work I guess.
The campaign has since been removed, but we salvaged a cache which is archived here. Don’t miss the comments.
As for Ms. Elana? A quick glance at her Facebook page and it appears she’s just a dummy account set up for scamming purposes. We found another GoFundMe campaign in her name called “Stop Cancer” which, like the phony giraffe page, has also been removed. Here’s an archived copy. Sigh.