The Hollywood legend Betty White celebrated her 99th birthday earlier this week, and fans marked the occasion by launching a petition to honor her in a truly beautiful way.
Fans of the former “Golden Girls” star have launched a petition calling for her birthday to be made “Betty White Day” in her hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. The petition was created by activist Konrad Juengling and is addressed to the Oak Park City Council, and at the time of this writing, it has nearly 2,000 signatures.
“Betty White is a national treasure,” the petition’s description reads. “She’s been an entertainer for over eight decades and is still going strong. She was on the ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ‘The Golden Girls,’ and ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ putting a smile on our faces all the while.”
“Oak Park, White’s hometown in Illinois, should honor her by creating a Betty White Day on her birthday, January 17,” it continues.
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Juengling explained to People Magazine that he has been a fan of White’s ever since he was a child, when he enjoyed watching reruns of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” He said that he decided to launch this petition as a way to honor this “trailblazer.”
“Betty has been a trailblazer in the entertainment industry since she was the first woman to produce ‘Life With Elizabeth,'” he said. “I was first introduced to her when watching reruns of the ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ as a child, then when I watched the ‘Golden Girls’ series a few years ago. She has great comedic timing and seems like she’s genuinely having a good time when entertaining others.”
“I’m hoping the city council will see there’s a national interest in Betty and creating a Betty White Day. With the petition getting some momentum, it’ll give the city council something concrete to see while they’re considering the initiative,” Juengling added.
White celebrated her birthday this past Sunday with her signature sense of humor.
“Since I am turning 99, I can stay up as late as I want without asking permission,” she said in a statement.
Days before her birthday, White spoke out to reveal to fans how she has always stayed so positive.
“I don’t like the other side,” said White. “The positive side is a lot more fun.”
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