Man, Woman, Youth of the Year named

Travis Parker, Donna Skelton and Danielle Holley are the 2020 Enterprise Man, Woman and Youth of the Year, respectively.

The three were named at a ceremony April 25 held outside at the Enterprise Farmer’s Market due to state-mandated coronavirus-related restrictions. The Enterprise Pilot Club has sponsored what has traditionally been a Civic Night Program for 65 years.

Parker was the Wiregrass Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution nominee, Kelton was the Enterprise Civitan Club nominee and Holley was nominated by the OSCAR Club of Enterprise.

“To me, it’s not just individual recognition, it’s sort of a group recognition because I’m in several different organizations and everybody chips in,” Parker said after the honor was announced. “I’m sort of accepting this for Hand Up Enterprise, Enterprise Civitan and Sons of the American Revolution, which honored me with the nomination this year.”

Parker and his family placed POW/MIA tables in local businesses. He is a charter member of the Coffee County Veterans, a group that funded the over 3,000 flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day and laying 1,500 Honor Wreaths as part of “Wreaths Across America.” Parker funded two “Flags for Forgotten Soldiers” suicide awareness displays of 660 flags each and worked as volunteer counselor in the Military Support Group.

Parker started the local “Operation Gratitude,” helped the Purple Heart Chapter place parking signs in front of businesses, served as American Legion District Chaplain and worked with Woodmen Life in flag donations to churches and schools.

Parker works with the American Cancer Society “Power in Purple” campaign and raised more than $10,000.

As a Civitan, Parker initiated the local “Shop-With-a-Cop,” which, co-sponsored with Hand Up Enterprise, teams students and law enforcement officers for a full day of activities. He was “Civitan of the Year,” the club’s Enterprise president, area director, Alabama-West Florida District Governor-elect, National President’s Council Member and a charter member of a Special Needs Civitan Club.

“To be nominated for Woman of the Year in the first place was a great honor,” said Skelton. “I just love being in the clubs and doing things for other people. I just enjoy it.”

Skelton, married to her high school sweetheart Harold, was a military spouse for 22 years. In that capacity, Skelton has volunteered with Army Community Services, Officer’s Wives Club, Thrift Shop and American Red Cross. She was awarded Volunteer of the Month at the Thrift Shop and Installation Yard of the Month at Fort Campbell, Ky. “My hand always goes up when asked ‘Who will volunteer?’” she said.

She and her husband, Harold, are Enterprise Civitan Club members and help with the fundraising sales of Vidalia onions, Claxton fruit cakes and Priester’s Pecans. They help also with the annual picnic and Christmas party, setting up the menus, decorations and door prizes, play Bingo monthly with residents at Wynnwood retirement home and buy, wrap and give Christmas gifts to the members of the Adult Day Care Center in Enterprise. They also attend the Adult Boy Scout Troop Christmas Dinner at the Vivian B Adams School in Ozark.

Skelton is a charter member of the Enterprise Cook-Clements Post 73 American Legion Auxiliary, helping veterans at Tuskegee Veterans Hospital with donations of toiletry items, clothing, books and craft supplies. The auxiliary also has educational classes and literature on flag etiquette and proper flag retirement. The group sponsors scholarships and Girls State Program and fundraising dinners.

“It’s indescribable. It’s unreal. I feel so honored just being nominated in the first place,” said Holley. “Getting that phone call was so surreal. I’m just so grateful for even being nominated in the first place and I’m honored, very honored, to be given this prestigious award.

“Because of my faith, I love to serve other people. It’s what I’ve been raised to do. We’re commanded in the Bible to serve other people because it’s what our Lord did. That’s always been real close to my heart, is to have a servant’s heart.”

A senior at Enterprise High School, Holley is the daughter of Joey and Phyllis Holley. She has one brother, Eli. She is an Honor Senior who holds leadership positions in several organizations while maintaining a weighted Grade Point Average of 4.22 and is ranked 40 out of 502 students.

Holley is a member of the EHS Lady Cats Softball team, the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society and the Future Teachers of Alabama. She is an active member of the College Avenue Church of Christ in Enterprise where she volunteers in the nursery, helps with Vacation Bible School, fills in for teachers with the toddler classes, helps with Communion prep and transports youth who would like to attend church and youth services.

Holley also worked with the victims of Hurricane Michael and traveled to Honduras with the Bilingual Education for Central America Program. During the summer, she volunteered at Wiregrass Christian Youth Camp for two weeks to counsel junior high and fifth and six grade campers. She is a member of Jr. Pi Girls’ Club, where she has dedicated time to donating supplies to the Coffee Cats Cafe’ and shopping for Christmas gifts for less fortunate children in the community.

Holley has also volunteered at the Coffee-Dale Special Olympics, the Accelerated Reader Fall Festival at Hillcrest Elementary, the Wiregrass Christian Academy Fall Festival, and the Enterprise Early Education Center Trike-A-Thon. She was also nominated for the Bryant-Jordan Achievement Award by the EHS faculty.