Whitney Houston Funeral: Family Asks For Donations To Fallen Star's Favorite Cause

As Whitney Houston's family makes their final preparations for the star's funeral Saturday, they have asked her supporters to donate to her favorite cause, instead of sending flowers.

Houston, who died Saturday at a hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., was active in a number of charities throughout her career, but relatives requested that fans pay special care to an arts school named for the "I Will Always Love You," singer, the Associated Press reports.

The fallen singer attended the Franklin School in East Orange, N.J., as a child and it was eventually renamed the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts in the 90s, the news outlet reports.

The school aims to teach its students to become "contributing members of society now and in the next century," according to its website and Houston's family hopes to continue her legacy there through her supporters' donations.

Henry Hamilton, principal of the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, said he was surprised that the family decided to have a private service at her childhood church, rather than host a public memorial at a major venue.

"I couldn't believe it. I really couldn't believe it," Hamilton told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond, "but I think this is probably what Whitney would have wanted."

Find out how you can get involved in the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts here.

To learn more about Whitney Houston's humanitarian efforts through the years, click through our slideshow below:

PHOTOS: AP

Comments

[Mr Lingus]

01:51 PM on 02/16/2012

Maybe the family and the estate can donate some of the millions they have....Yeah, right.

[thinkb4uleapII]

08:02 PM on 02/16/2012

Why so cynical? What makes you think a fair amount of her wealth hasn't already been donated to these causes?

[maxfax]

11:41 AM on 02/18/2012

The woman was broke living off of advances from her label and future work.

[Dolores de Cabeza]

08:02 AM on 02/19/2012

A deceased person´s estate continues long after their demise. She may have been broke (or not) but that doesn´t mean that her estate cannot recover enormously through posthumous record sales and a lot of other things.

Whitney may be dead, but she is NOT departed. She did a lot of good, and the lives that she helped are her greatest legacy. RIP and thank you, Whitney.

[Al Schrader]

01:42 PM on 02/16/2012

Whitney was a very special lady who brought a little light into everyone's life....Alfred-

[bellaganj]

04:00 PM on 02/15/2012

hey, wait one second: when my friend died of cancer, we had to wait 2 weeks for a death certificate before we could take care of the remains. there were no investigations, fishy circumstances or even an autopsy. we were hurting as much as whitney's family is. what the hell?

[aka1997]

12:02 PM on 02/16/2012

White people are sooooo jealous of Black people.

[Dolores de Cabeza]

08:04 AM on 02/19/2012

What does race have to do with this? Ask yourself.

[cugie]

02:03 PM on 02/15/2012

Thanks, but I would rather donate to the Gov Christie flag at half mast committee, or drug abuser gone wild, maybe even the bobby brown useless dad club!

[Gemini49]

03:38 PM on 02/15/2012

Maybe if it were your mother or wife or daughter or sister or good friend who walked in Whitney Houston's shoes you might be singin' a different put down ...

[Leonard Baudoin]

01:41 PM on 02/15/2012

Sing a song to my Son '' whitney'' who is in heaven with You,{ UNTIL WE ALL MEET AGAIN } Much love& rest in peace>>>>BOE TUNDRA 47

[Lithera Johnson]

01:34 PM on 02/15/2012

i hope she in heaven with our wonder god and i pray that good is with her family