The calendar says Saturday in most places, but it’s “Faturday” in Michigan.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared March 8 to be “Faturday” in honor of the late Andy Isaac, who rose to Internet fame as the man behind @WorldofIsaac.
Isaac, 45, died Thursday after a 19-year battle with cancer, his family announced to his more than 90,000 Twitter followers.
The self-described “Sausage King of Detroit,” Isaac built a brand off of his sports and food takes and was a crazed fan of both Detroit’s professional teams and his alma mater Michigan State. His popular food-tasting videos were accompanied by #Faturday.
“Michigan has the best, most passionate sports fans in the country, and nobody embodied what we’re all about better than Andy Isaac,” Whitmer said in a statement. “With his humor, dedication, and love for our teams, Andy helped make cheering on Detroit sports a heck of a lot more fun. He brought joy to people’s lives, always asking, ‘Tell me something good that happened to you recently.’
“Today, we remember Andy and do something good for the state of Michigan by officially proclaiming Saturday, March 8, as ‘Faturday.’”
Isaac was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006.
The disease “finally stripped me of quality of life,” Isaac detailed in his last message revealing a foot infection that was preventing him from walking on Feb. 18.
Whitmer’s proclamation encouraged Michigan residents to support local restaurants in Isaac’s memory.
It praised him for “maintaining a spirit of kindness, humor, and unwavering enthusiasm for the teams and city he loved” in the face of cancer.
Faturday is “the ultimate sports and food-filled Saturday,” but really “about gathering with friends and family, rooting for your favorite teams, and treating yourself,” the governor wrote.
Isaac is survived by wife Meret.
The family suggests donations to your local Red Cross in his memory.
