Performance Foods, makers of Totally Ferret, found a way to raise money and laughter at the same time. In March, the company announced that it would hold a fundraiser on April 1. The rules were simple. For one day only, people who phoned the company and spoke to April Pietroiacovo to place an order of $14 or more could also, with minimal effort, get food donated to Support Our Shelters, a nonprofit organization that assists ferret shelters nationwide.

What did people have to do to get the ferret food donated? Merely prompt Pietroiacovo to say either “Wow” or “Totally Ferret” while placing their order. For each “Wow” or “Totally Ferret” uttered, a pound of ferret food would be donated to SOS.

Getting Pietroiacovo to say either phrase wasn’t difficult. In fact, it was Pietroiacovo's frequent use of the word “Wow” that inspired this fundraising idea.

“It was a lot of fun,” Pietroiacovo said. She “met” some new ferret owners and was impressed with how creative people got with trying to make her say the magic words.

Thanks to people’s efforts, more than 100 pounds of ferret food was earned for SOS on April 1, and that’s no joke.

Pietroiacovo believes that Performance Foods will do another fundraiser in the future, perhaps alternating the ferret charity that benefits.