Wellington - A week ago officials at Folke Peterson Wildlife Center were uncertain if they'd have enough money to continue operating past March. But after several news stories aired their struggles, residents have come to the rescue for now.
"The lights are on, we made payroll, and the animals are being fed," said Heather Landstrom, executive director of Folke. "The response from the community has been
very humbling, very gratifying, and very satisfying. We've gotten hundreds of small checks and notes with good wishes."
Landstrom credits the extra media attention with the community response, and said it has even sped up some of the center's grants that were in the works. She hopes the additional funds will be enough to get them through until a few of their larger grants come through.
"We bought ourselves a little bit of time," she said. "We will be very frugal and continue to try to raise money to pull us through the next couple of months. We're not out of the woods, but we have bought ourselves some time."