Of all the celebrity deaths this year, none have hit the entertainment world like the passing of actress, humanitarian and cultural iconBetty Whitejust weeks before her hundredth birthday. Along with hundreds of celebrity tributes and thousands of messages from her fans all around the world, a number of special homages to theGolden Girlsstar have also been paid, with the latest coming from the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore who are offering a nationwide program that allows Girl Scouts to earn themselves a patch in commemoration of White.
“We are truly saddened at Betty White’s passing, but the incredible response to the patch program is a wonderful tribute to her impact on women,” Heather Coburn, the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore explained toPeople.com. “She is a strong role model for girls – a feminist, civil rights supporter, animal activist, brilliant actress, and overall nice human being.”
The patch is part of the Amazing Woman of the Month series that has been run by the branch, which has previously honored women include Eleanor Roosevelt, Ruth Bader and Shirley Chisholm, and focuses on introducing Girl Scouts to women of note from history via self-guided activities. In the case of White, who was always planned to be January’s subject to coincide with her 100th birthday prior to her death, the program incorporates a number of aspects of the actress’ career including creating a game show, building a pretend TV, advocating for animals and learning to get on with other people.
Related:Bob Saget Shares Hilarious Betty White Story to Honor the Comedy Legend
Betty White’s Passing Touched the Hearts of Millions of People Around the World
The Girl Scout program had gained 712 applicants prior to White’s death on December 31st, but subsequently rocketed to over 2000 after the news broke. In the following days, the outpouring of love for White was overwhelming, with numerous celebrity social media accounts carrying messages of sorrow and stories of working with the actress over the years.
Actor Ryan Reynolds tweeted, “The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.”
Shazam actor Zachary Levy expressed what many others echoed, saying, “Betty made this world better. She made this business better. We should all take a page out of her book of life. Hell, we should take entire chapters. She was more than an icon. She was an example of how to carry yourself. How to treat others. How to make people laugh in the most kind and sincere ways. We all loved her for a reason. Because deep down, she’s an example of who we all want to be.”
Other messages came from President Joe Biden, Robert Redford, George Takei, Ellen DeGeneres, Henry Winkler and so many more, who all said the same thing; the world has lost one those celebrities that just make the world seem a better place. Fans will be able to celebrate her life witha documentary that was set to honor Betty White’s centenaryand will be released in select cinemas on January 17th.
