Betty White's Hometown to Mark Her 100th Birthday with Special Holiday in Her Honor

Oak Park, Ill. will celebrate the first Betty White Day on Jan. 15, two days before White would have turned 100

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Published on January 4, 2022 10:39 AM

Betty White is getting her very own holiday.

The late comedian, who died Friday at age 99, is being honored with Betty White Day two days before her birthday, Jan. 17, in her Illinois hometown. Oak Park, Ill. is establishing the new holiday this year on Jan. 15, a rep for the event confirmed to PEOPLE.

As part of the celebration, Oak Park businesses, including Mickey's Restaurant, will create and offer their own "Betty White specials," TMZ reported. Mickey's will sell a meal made up of some of White's favorite foods.

The special will include a hot dog, fries and diet coke, according to TMZ. White told PEOPLE in 2012 that "hot dogs and Red Vines and potato chips and French fries" were her "favorite foods."

While Mickey's will be serving some of White's go-to savory dishes, Turano Bakery will mark what would have been the comedian's 100th birthday with "a giant birthday cake," TMZ reports. Red Vines will also give away licorice.

According to a release from event organizer Lourdes Nicholls, Golden Girls theme vocalist Cindy Fee will sing "Thank You for Being a Friend," following commentary from the village president and a local historian.

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Betty White Day will also include a mural contest. The winning design of White will be painted in Oak Park's downtown, per TMZ.

White was born in Oak Park in 1922, although her family later moved to California. According to TMZ, White returned to visit the Illinois town years after she left.

White's agent and friend Jeff Witjas confirmed her death in a statement shared with PEOPLE Friday.

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"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas shared. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."

He added, "Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home early this morning."

White was known for her work on shows like The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Hot in Cleveland. She also appeared in multiple films during her decades-long career, including The Proposal and You Again.