When Hurricane Katrina tore through Louisiana in 2005, over 15 million people were affected, and hundreds were killed. Many of these people that survived the storm lost their homes and their belongings when floods from the storm swept through the area, so it is no surprise that Katrina is considered the most expensive storm in the history of the United States. Dianna Beasley was one of the people who lost all of her possessions and her home, but she was thankful that her family survived.
After all of the turmoil of Katrina, Dianna was thrilled to get to meet Ellen DeGeneres on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in later 2005. She did not expect to receive any charity, and Dianna just wanted to get to meet and dance with a celebrity that she admired. Since she did not plan on asking for anything, Dianna was shocked when Ellen gave her a brand new car.
Dianna’s vibrant personality made her a favorite on the show, and she appeared a few years later. This time, Dianna talked about how she was working to maintain a healthy lifestyle after surviving the hurricane. At the age of 60, Dianna had started eating healthy and running at least three miles every single day.
Dianna recently appeared on Ellen’s show again to discuss her latest plans, and Ellen was happy to catch up with one of her favorite guests again. After years of enjoying a healthy lifestyle, Dianna has decided to share this lifestyle with others. Instead of retiring at the age of 65, she has gone back to school, and Dianna is studying to be a wellness practitioner.
Dianna also has a new goal in life, and she plans to start a food truck business. New Orleans may be known for its tasty beignets and Creole food, but typical New Orleans food is very unhealthy. Dianna’s business plans to reach out to the people in the city who are interested in eating food that is both tasty and healthy by running a food truck through the town.
Ellen then reveals an adorable food truck that she has for Dianna. It is a pale blue truck with a honeycomb design across it that features the smiling bee logo of Ms. Beasley’s Catering Co, and the motto “Healthy food for a healthy New Orleans.” It turns out that Ellen had been working with Dianna’s daughter, Rachel for the past month. With funding from Shutterfly and design input from Rachel, Ellen has managed to create the perfect food truck for Dianna without ever letting her know. Inside, the truck is fully equipped with everything that Dianna will need to cook with.
Dianna is so overcome with joy that she bursts into tears and has to sit down. She had no idea that her quick visit on the Ellen show would result in such a huge boost for her business. This adorable scene shows just how much good Ellen can do as a talk show host. Watch the video here to see Dianna’s heartwarming reaction for yourself.