D.C. Mayor Declares September 16 ‘Hayden Panettiere Day’

If you live in Washington D.C., apparently you can now write “Hayden Panettiere Day” under September 16 on your calendar.

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray held a ceremony on Friday honoring the actress/activist for her support of the cause to make Washington D.C. a state. According to the Huffington Post, she has appeared in a video for the D.C. Statehood Fund along with Shadow Senator Paul Strauss, as well as attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention as a guest of D.C. Statehood Fund. Panettiere said, “It seems like such (an) unfathomable fact that, you know, it’s taxation without representation in D.C., and that there’s no democracy in our democracy, at the heart of it,” according to ABC News.

Jeff Pantukhoff, President of the Whaleman Foundation was also in attendance on Friday. Hayden is the international spokesperson for the organization, and an advocate for whales and other ocean wildlife. She said that she admires Mayor Gray’s willingness to go to jail for his causes (he and other city leaders were arrested while protesting Congress’ interference with D.C.’s budget in April), and that she hoped to be arrested while in Japan protesting the slaughter of dolphins. “I was very impressed,” she said. “I tried my hardest to get arrested in Japan, to no avail.

Hayden Panettiere charged $30 per autograph and $45 for a photograph at Fan Expo Canada Convention

The odd movie role - Scream 4 and Hoodwinked Too! - Hood vs Evil - does not seem to have softened the financial blow for Hayden Panettiere after her starring breakthrough role in Heroes. Her romance and subsequent break-up in May with heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, the WBA Super, IBF, WBO Super and IBO champion in May, would not have helped.

The 22-year-old actress was at the four day Fan Expo Canada Convention in Toronto. If you wanted Panettiere's autograph it cost $30. If a devoted fan wanted a photograph with Panettiere, they would need to cough up $45 for the privilege, according to an accompanying sign outside her booth.

The four day expo was for fans of horror movies, comic books, science fiction, animé and video games.

Panettiere joined the likes of Harry Potter star Tom Felton and Buffy actress Eliza Dushku putting pen to paper at the event.

Paneterr's star has not been lost forever. She will appear in drama Carmel next year alongside Josh Hutcherson, Lauren Bacall and Alfred Molina. She has signed up to star alongside Twilight actress Nikki Reed in a movie adaption of Michael Hornburg's high school thriller Downers Grove.