Whether you know her best as Mary, one of the infamous Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus, or as the voice of Peggy Hill on King of the Hill, it's likely you've run across Kathy Najimy's comedic talents more than a few times. A character actress with many faces, she's been making her mark on Hollywood since the early '90s.
In addition to her acting, she's also an outspoken advocate for our animal friends. She's joined with PETA on multiple campaigns, including starring in a TV spot to promote kindness to dogs and posing for an ad encouraging tourists to stay away from SeaWorld. And in honor of her efforts, PETA presented her with a Compassionate Action Award yesterday at Fort Lauderdale's veg heaven, Sublime.
See also: NYC Named Top Vegan-Friendly City By PETA; South Florida Has a Long Way to Go
All the bigwigs were on hand for Najimy's honor, from PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk and Senior VP Dan Mathews to Sublime and ARFF founder Nanci Alexander. Ahead of honoring Najimy, they each took the stage to talk about PETA's campaigns and Najimy's efforts.
Then, Najimy's daughter, singer/songwriter Samia Najimy Finnerty sang a moving, symbolic tune about animals.. Also a PETA spokesperson, last year the then-16-year-old starred in a saucy campaign headlined "Vegans Go All the Way".
After some glowing intros, Najimy took the stage to accept her honor. She gave kudos to Ingrid and Dan and her daughter.
"When I first got involved with PETA a million years ago, it was like having an affair with a really bad, hot boy on the street. You knew he could be trouble but you couldn't stay away. I miss that boy but PETA has matured into this brilliant organization something none of us could ever have imagined. I have watched PETA literally changed the world," Najimy said.
She talked about her tendency towards tears when it comes to animal issues, from captive elephants to dogs at the pound to horses pulling carriages in Manhattan. She spoke about her own pups, and said, "Somebody once told me that I was wasting my time because animals don't have feelings, hearts or souls. I said if that's true then I've loved and been madly loved by stuffed animals for over 40 years."
After singing PETA's praises and crediting them for doing whatever it takes to lessen the suffering of animals (while not giving a damn about public perception), she concluded with this:
"Every good and helpful thing matters. Every little thing and every big thing. What you don't do doesn't matter that much, it doesn't cancel out the good thing you do. Everything good matters."
Amen to that Kathy.
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