BOISE -- If you’ve ever driven down Vista Ave. you’ve most likely seen Betty the Wash Woman on top of the sign for Italian restaurant 'Cucina di Paolo.'
Mary Jean Wegner and her husband Paul own Cucina di Paolo. When they moved into their current location on Vista, they inherited Betty the Wash Woman.
"My favorite has always been when one lady said 'If that wash woman wasn't here, all of Boise would evaporate,’” Mary Jean said.
The restaurant used to be a laundromat which explains why Betty is there to begin with, and she’s become a community icon.
"We've been in this location ten years, 24 years in our community,” she said. “People come in and say when ‘I was little girl, we would know that we hit Boise when we saw the wash woman.’"
Giving back to the community is at the top of the list for the Wegners.
Mary Jean thought including Betty would be a fun and great way to do that, so with the help of some friends and other local businesses, she turned the Boise icon into a calendar girl.
They created a 13-month calendar with Betty dressed up in different seasonal outfits for each month.
"The idea of changing her outfits was just simply for fun, and fun's a priority in my day, so that's how the ball started rolling,” she said.
They’re selling the calendar at Cucina di Paolo for $20 each. All money raised will go directly to the Idaho Foodbank.
"It's not just about us, me, that kind of mentality. It's what can you give back,” Mary Jean said. "I don't think people should be hungry. And every time, you know, somebody comes in our door and says 'This place smells so good,' I think in my heart, I wish every school child could open a door at the end of the day and come in and have that aroma."