Betty White, who died last month at the age of 99, will be honored with Betty White Day in Illinois in commemoration of what would have been the beloved actress and comedian’s 100th birthday.
The sustaining legacy of the omnipresent pop culture figure, per a new report from TMZ, will be celebrated on Jan. 17 in Oak Park. Notably, the Golden Girls and Mary Tyler Moore Show star moved from the Illinois village when she was still a baby, though she remained vocally supportive of the region and was known to visit family members even after settling in California.
Betty White Day—the inaugural edition of which will fall on the same day as the nationally recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday—is reportedly set to feature a mural contest (with the winner having their work featured in a downtown location), themed specials at various restaurants, and more.
Per the latest report, Betty White Day is set to become an annual occurrence. Ahead of the 2022 edition, Vicki Scaman—who currently serves as Oak Park Village President—will detail the Betty White Day proclamation as part of a community memorial event.
White, whose decades-strong career will also be commemorated later this month with the release of the A Celebration documentary, died on Dec. 31 at the age of 99. Stars from across the entertainment industry were quick to share their tributes, as were political figures including President Joe Biden and former FLOTUS Michelle Obama.
“Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans,” Biden said. “She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed. Jill and I are thinking of her family and all those who loved her this New Year’s Eve.”
