Betty White is being honored today on what would have been her 100th birthday.
The Golden Girls TV icon passed away December 31, just a few weeks shy of the milestone birthday on January 17.
Over the weekend, her hometown of Oak Park, Illinois celebrated her life with various “Be Like Betty” festivities around town, according to ABC-TV affiliate WLS. There were some special guest speakers as well, including the singer of The Golden Girls theme song, Cindy Fee.
In honor of her official birthday, the Illinois Senate has announced that Monday will officially be known as Betty White Day in Illinois.
If you weren’t in Betty’s hometown over the weekend, there are still plenty of ways to pay tribute. A previously-planned documentary, Betty White: A Celebration, has been revamped to include Betty’s final video message to fans. The film will have a one-night showing at 1,500 theaters nationwide Monday.
The Hallmark Channel, meanwhile, is featuring a Golden Girls marathon, plus a special presentation of Betty’s 2011 Hallmark movie The Lost Valentine at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Meanwhile, NatGeo Wild is airing a special about the star’s animal advocacy work, called Betty White Goes Wild, at 9 p.m. ET. And speaking of her animal advocacy, the #BettyWhiteChallenge is encouraging people to donate $5 to animal rescue organizations in her name today. More than $550,000 has already been raised for the challenge since it was announced earlier this month.
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