It was five years ago today that the town of Orange suffered a great loss.
Annie Davis, was known to many as the Santa’s Helper’s “Elf Mama,” and to Fire department insiders as Zelda, for her uncanny ability to “know” when a fire call was going to come through, as a dedicated founding member of the Orange CERT, and so much more.
I remember how she would call me in the late summer with early drafts of December’s Santa’s Helper Fundraiser information. She’d keep me up to date with detailed press releases every few weeks as the plans solidified. She worked so hard on making it the best it could be every year, using her lunch periods at the office to tweek lists and delivery routes, then going home and working on it some more.
She was a little spitfire, always doing something for others.
I miss her phone calls and excited chatter about the latest happenings around town and, of course, her plans for Santa’s Helper.
If you are ever at the Orange Fairgrounds, say, visiting the Farmers’ Market take a stroll over to the “well” near the farm building and visit Annie’s park bench. I worked side by side with Annie’s fellow CERT member, and dear friend, the late Kenny Lyke, on raising enough money to purchase the bench.
In December 2020, during the pandemic, we planted the bench with the help of Roy Cuzzocreo and a couple of his guys from Orange Fence.
After you read this, take a moment to do something nice for someone else in honor of Annie’s giving spirit.