The former marine biology teacher and cartoonist died aged 57, leading to a mass outpouring of grief from fans.
“As Nickelodeon Studios is based in New York, I felt it fitting to ask the Big Apple to show its love for Stephen by embracing SpongeBob's classic yellow glow,” fan Alison P. said in her e-petition on the Care2 website, which aims to get Hillenburg honored on a massive scale by lighting Manhattan's famous skyscraper in the worlds most famous sponge's iconic color.
Most recently, Nickelodeon's iconic SpongeBob SquarePants balloon floated its way through the city as part of Macy’s 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade.
She said she started the petition as a way to honor Hillenburg and also to drive awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative neurological condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon
In part, the petition reads: "SpongeBob SquarePants has taught his audience not only about friendship but helped to drive awareness around the importance of ocean conservation.
"It was Stephen's genius that was able to invent a character who could connect with kids and adults to deliver such an important message in a fun and charming way."
The Empire State Building was previously lit up in Nickelodeon Orange in September 2013 to commemorate the network's 10th annual Worldwide Day of Play.
Nickelodeon will be honoring Stephen on-air with a special SpongeBob SquarePants marathon dedicated to his memory on Sunday, December 2 between 12:00pm - 8:30pm ET/PT.
Let's do this!: Light Up The Empire State Building Yellow To Honor SpongeBob Squarepants Creator Stephen Hillenburg!
Sources: LADbible, The Los Angeles Times.
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