With a little more than a month to go until the end of the Freeborn County Humane Society’s two-to-one-challenge match with a Rochester foundation, Humane Society officials wanted to remind the community of some upcoming fundraising opportunities of which the organization is taking part.

Until Dec. 11, any money donated to the local Humane Society through fundraisers or private donations to the organization’s building fund will be matched twice by the Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation, in an effort to help the Humane Society raise money for its expanded animal shelter.

For example, if a person donates $100 to the building fund, the foundation will donate $200, for a total of $300 in donations.

As of Friday, about $15,000 had been raised locally, which means $30,000 will be matched by the foundation, said Humane Society volunteer Nancy Rosenberg.

The Humane Society was notified about the match in September from a representative of the foundation, after news broke that the Humane Society was one of several entities to lose money in the criminal case against former Freeborn County Commissioner Linda Tuttle.

Tuttle faces felony theft and racketeering charges, alleging she used her title company, Albert Lea Abstract, to divert money to her own bank accounts for personal use. In the Humane Society’s case, they lost $150,000 that had been anonymously given to start a shelter expansion.

Various companies and groups have already organized fundraisers to help offset the lost funds.

Other fundraisers scheduled for the next month are the following:

Express Laundry at Skyline Plaza will have a fundraiser Dec. 2, where $1 will be donated out of every load of wash done at the business for a 24-hour period.

Beatles tribute band American English will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Albert Lea High School auditorium as a joint fundraiser for the Humane Society and Thorne Crest Retirement Center.

The two organizations are looking to get sponsors for the event to offset expenses. Offsetting expenses with sponsorships would allow the ticket sales to be 100 percent for the fundraising goals.

Rosenberg said tickets are $15 in advance at Candy & Jewels, Plymouth Shoes, KATE Radio, Thorne Crest, Doyle’s Hallmark, the Freeborn County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. Tickets at the door are $20.

Before the performance, from 4 to 7 p.m., the American Legion Leo Carey Post 56 will have a hamburger basket fundraiser of hamburgers and fries.

Closer to Christmas, the Humane Society will have Christmas trees at Ole’s Shell and Green Mill, where the organization is hoping to have buttons for sale that feature animals at the shelter and the Humane Society logo.

After Dec. 11, when the challenge grant has passed, the Humane Society will put out a scroll with the organization’s wish list of items needed at the shelter.

“This is a wonderful way to show the spirit of giving for Christmas,” Rosenberg said.

Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 423, Albert Lea, MN 56007 or dropped off in person at the shelter 101 James Ave., Albert Lea.