Betty, the hardest-working woman in Boise, brings in a big cash haul for The Idaho Foodbank
Betty the washerwoman has been an iconic Boise icon since she was installed in the 1950s near a now long-gone laundromat on Vista Avenue.
The community now has yet another reason to love Betty. Sales of a 2017 Betty calendar created by her owners, Mary Jean and Paul Wegner, raised more than $24,000 for The Idaho Foodbank. The Wegners presented the food bank with a check last week.
“What a success story,” said food bank spokesman Mike Sharp. The donation will pay for more than 96,000 meals.
Love for the community and a knowledge of how many people love Betty, inspired the Wegners to create the calendar, said Mary Jean Wegner, who came up with the idea. The Wegners own the restaurant Cucina di Paolo, which now occupies Betty’s original laundromat home.
The couple and a crew of friends spent 2016 dressing Betty in seasonal garb, everything from bunny ears for Easter to a cheerleader costume to open Bronco football season, and then photographing her for the calendar.
The good news, if you haven’t gotten your calendar yet, they are still available at Cucina di Paolo, 1504 S. Vista Ave. for $20. All proceeds will continue to go to The Idaho Foodbank.
Anna Webb: 208-377-6431, @IDS_AnnaWebb
This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Betty, the hardest-working woman in Boise, brings in a big cash haul for The Idaho Foodbank."