NEW ORLEANS — Betty White’s love for animals was well known, but her generosity toward the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was not.
To honor the beloved actress, who died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 99, New Orleans will host a second line parade in the French Quarter on Jan. 17, which would have been her 100th birthday, WWL-TV reported.
The event is being held by Santa T. Claus and Carl Mack Presents and will also serve as a fundraiser for animal rescues.
New Orleans to host a second line parade on Betty White's birthday that will also raise money in her honor for a New Orleans animal rescue center. https://t.co/h3u9SrBOSe
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) January 6, 2022
According to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, located at the Mississippi River in New Orleans, White paid for a private plane to relocate the aquarium’s otters and penguins to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California after the powerful hurricane smashed into the Big Easy on Aug. 29, 2005.
“Audubon did not find out until after the trip that Betty White had paid for a portion of the trip,” Audubon Aquarium spokesperson Annie Matherne told WWL on Sunday. “Betty was a huge animal advocate and conservationist. She did not want any fanfare surrounding her part in the relocation; she just wanted to help how she could. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true friend.”
Tom Dyer, who cared for the birds at the aquarium at the time, shared the story on Twitter after White’s death.
A thread about a Queen:
— Tom Dyer (@VidaRoch) December 31, 2021
I took care of the birds at the Aquarium for 21 years. After Katrina, we evacuated every animal that made it that we could. Got a call from Monterey Bay AQ. that they would take our
Next morning, wanted to thank the director who I knew slightly. She said a donor paid and did not want to be identified. It finally leaked years later and Betty White did it. Didn’t want anybody to know.
— Tom Dyer (@VidaRoch) December 31, 2021
A GoFundMe page, called Birthday Bucks for Betty, has been set up to defray the cost of the parade, WWL reported.
>>>Betty White death: Movie special will still ‘go forward’ at theaters
Participants are invited to bring their pets, as well as a dog toy to donate, because of White’s reputation as an animal lover, according to the television station.
©2022 Cox Media Group