Stars Shine For Remember Me Thursday® Global Pet Adoption Awareness Campaign

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This September, Helen Woodward Animal Center will once again unite with animal welfare proponents and organizations worldwide for the 3rd Annual Remember Me Thursday®.  The special day encourages individuals, organizations, and celebrities to create awareness of adoptable pets on social media and attend, or organize, candle-lighting ceremonies to remember the orphan pets who lost their lives without finding forever homes. Now some very big names are stepping forward to lend their support to the cause, including award-winning "Dancing With The Stars" television personality, Carrie Ann Inaba, who has been named the 2015 Official Spokesperson for the campaign. Helen Woodward Animal Center encourages the world to join with these philanthropic celebrities and to be a part of this very special day, Thursday, September 24^th, 2015. 

Last year, the event illuminated 138 countries with individuals uniting to support the movement by spreading the message through social media using #LIGHTFORPETS, holding candle-lighting ceremonies of their own, and visiting the Remember Me Thursday® website.  The enormous swell of celebrity support resulted in the topic trending on both Facebook and Twitter, garnering more than 200 million social media impressions. 

As the campaign's 2015 Official Spokesperson, Carrie Ann Inaba is an award-winning television host, dancer, choreographer and producer, who is best known for her role as a judge on the ABC hit, "Dancing With The Stars." Inaba's great love of animals inspired her to found the charitable organization The Animal Project Foundation. The organization makes the world a better place for animals in need by providing emergency rescue funding, organizing spay/neuter events and free medical services to underserved communities in Los Angeles, and offering animal welfare education.  After three years with Inaba as a featured Remember Me Thursday® celebrity "Luminary," partnering with Helen Woodward Animal Center was the perfect fit for The Animal Project Foundation.

"I couldn't imagine life without my furry family," explained Inaba.  "There is no greater gift than the love of an adopted companion. I am happy to be this year's Official Spokesperson of the Remember Me Thursday® campaign to bring awareness to pets in need of a loving home."

Inaba is not the only celebrity supporter joining the cause.  Accomplished Emmy and Tony-award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth, who recently received a coveted star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, has lent her voice since the campaign's inception by offering her inspiring song "It Will Be Me" as the official anthem of the Remember Me Thursday® campaign video.  Other notable personalities, pet behaviorists, and professional athletes are sharing their thoughts on pet adoption, in videos, and via their social media accounts.  At press time, 30+ influential luminaries have joined the cause, including:

Notable film, TV and stage personalities: Alan Cumming, Ashley Bell, Beth Stern, Carrie Ann Inaba (2015 Official Spokesperson), Courtney Lopez, Diane Keaton, Elaine Hendrix, Eric Roberts, Holly Madison, Ian Somerhalder, Katherine Heigl, Kathy Najimy, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Kristin Chenoweth, Lou Wegner, and Wynonna Judd.

Professional athletes: Anze Kopitar (LA Kings), Bryan Bickell (Chicago Blackhawks), Chris Young (New York Yankees), David Backes (St. Louis Blues), Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays), Jeff Carter (LA Kings), Joey Logano (NASCAR), Kevin Kiermaier (Tampa Bay Rays), Liam Hendriks (Toronto Blue Jays), Mark Buehrle (Toronto Blue Jays), Ryan Newman (NASCAR).

Animal specialty celebrities: Jackson Galaxy, Dr. Marty Becker, and Tamar Geller.

Remember Me Thursday® was established in 2013 by Helen Woodward Animal Center President Mike Arms.  Moved by the staggering statistic of the 3.4 million¹ homeless pets who lose their lives each year in the U.S., Arms put out a call to rescue organizations in an attempt to create a global awareness campaign.  As creator of the International Pet Adoptathon and the International Home 4 the Holidays program (placing over 10 million pets in homes since 1999), he was able to send out an expansive request and the response was significant. Now in its third year, the Remember Me Thursday® campaign continues to grow with multiple candle-lighting ceremonies and special events organized internationally, as well as an A-list lineup of celebrity supporters. 

Individuals and organizations can get involved in Remember Me Thursday® by spreading the word about the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels using #LIGHTFORPETS; attending, or organizing, a candle-lighting ceremony at their local shelter; lighting a virtual candle on-line at www.remembermethursday.org; and most importantly by always adopting and encouraging friends and family to do the same.

For more information on Remember Me Thursday® and a full list of participating celebrities and animal welfare organizations, go to www.remembermethursday.org.  For more information, contact PR Manager Jessica Gercke at (858) 756-4117 x 335 or [email protected].

¹The Humane Society of the United States approximates the number of homeless pets euthanized at 3.4 million annually.

About Remember Me Thursday®

Animal lovers and organizations across the globe unite on the 4th Thursday of September to shine a light on the millions of orphan pets still waiting for their forever homes and light a candle in remembrance of the millions of orphan pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home. The Remember Me Thursday® global awareness campaign is championed by Mike Arms, President of Helen Woodward Animal Center, and creator of both the International Pet Adoptathon and International Home 4 the Holidays program which, in partnership with national animal organizations, has placed 10 million pets in homes since 1999.   He is joined in partnership with Carrie Ann Inaba's organization – The Animal Project Foundation, which works to make the world a better place for animals in need.  For more information, please visit www.remembermethursday.org. 

Video - http://youtu.be/i9nGtAhg5wo

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150914/266284

SOURCE Helen Woodward Animal Center