As the Southland contends with the human and environmental impacts of the Palisades and Eaton fires, voice actress Kat Cressida is lending her star power to help the LA area recover as she rebuilds her own life following a traumatic health battle. With Pasadena Comic Con set to light up the Pasadena Convention Center on Saturday, Cressida — known for speaking life into beloved characters like Constance Hatchaway from Disney’s Haunted Mansion rides, Princess Leia, Jessie the Cowgirl from Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story” and Dee Dee on “Dexter’s Laboratory” — will be raising funds for the Pasadena Fire Foundation at the one-day fan event.
Cressida will donate 30% of her event proceeds to the Pasadena Fire Foundation, which supports the men and women of the Pasadena Fire Department. Pasadena Comic Con is also raising funds for the foundation on their homepage. Additionally, Cressida will also be running selfie and Funko Pop specials at her table to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Cressida, who is a booster and volunteer for Station 78 in Studio City, has been a lifelong supporter of firefighters as her father worked with the Navy’s firefighting division.
“I grew up having a real kinship and fondness for the firemen and certainly with how much they have given and struggled with the recent fires on every level, it just feels like it’s a very important organization to give back to,” she explained.
“With all of us in Southern California either directly impacted or circumstantially affected — with our friends and family and neighbors and the businesses we love either suffering directly by the wildfires or indirectly because of how it’s affected the landscape and the economy — it’s very important to give and to try to do something, no matter how great or small, to help LA rebuild,” Cressida said. “There have been so many amazing efforts and organizations and people, thankfully, to help with the rebuilding.”
Cressida herself is still rebuilding her life after surviving a rare form of cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans which manifested in her face.
She underwent a series of surgeries, including facial reconstruction, as well as radiation, various other treatments and she had to relearn how to talk and sound like herself once more. (The Daily News covered her remarkable health journey in depth in 2019.)
Today, Cressida is a passionate advocate for early cancer screenings.
“It’s important for people to know that if you catch it early, you can have your whole life ahead of you,” she told HeySoCal.com.
From the many twists and turns throughout this health journey, Cressida learned about the importance of wasting time. In 2019 she spoke at TEDxUCLA about the importance of time well-wasted, engaging in joyful activities and playtime. Pasadena Comic Con is exactly the type of joyful activity that invites wasting time for one’s own benefit.
“What makes Pasadena Comic Con special and unique is that it’s very discerning about both the zeitgeist and the talent fans might be excited to meet,” Scott Zillner, owner and promoter, shared.
“There’s plenty for the fans in terms of covering all bits of pop culture magic,” Cressida she enthused.
“I just think it’s really important that events give back to the community, especially with what Los Angeles faced this past year, and we’re very lucky to be able to support and show appreciation to the Pasadena Fire Department,” Zillner shared. “We feel very fortunate to have signing Guests like Kat Cressida who are also using the event as a way to give back to the community and to those in need.”
To purchase tickets for Pasadena Comic Con, visit pasadenacomiccon.com.
