Ashley Marie Davis, Miss Staten Island 2019, who was crowned Miss Queens in the Miss Manhattan/Miss Queens Pageant in January, continues to be dedicated to supporting Alzheimer’s research and a cure through her involvement with the virtual Walk to End Alzheimer’s Oct. 10.
Davis has chosen “Memories Matter: Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness and Support,” as her personal pageant platform.
Ashley Marie Davis, a former Miss Staten Island, and her mom, Jessica, during last year's walk. (Courtesy/Ashley Marie Davis)Staten Island Advance
She served as the Alzheimer’s Association Ambassador for Staten Island in Washington, D.C., during the annual Advocacy Forum and is the Alzheimer’s Association-NYC Chapter Ambassador, where she serves as Mission Moments Speaker.
Her great-grandmother, Margaret Davis, and her great-grandfather, Ramses Davis, succumbed to Alzheimer’s Disease in 2009 and February 2018, respectively. They helped raise her while her mom, Jessica, worked as a single mom.
And now Ashley is giving back by working as an advocate to combat the disease that took the lives of two of those people she held most dear.
The Pleasant Plains resident is a Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and the Performing Arts grad, and recently earned a degree from Marymount College. She currently holds a position with a marketing support firm in Manhattan.
Ashley Marie Davis, former Miss Staten Island who is now Miss Queens. (Courtesy/Ashley Marie Davis)Staten Island Advance
The annual Alzheimer’s Walk, which has been held during years past at Clove Lakes Park and at the College of Staten Island, was held virtually this year.
Said Ashley during the event: “As Mission Moments Speaker, I walk each year for my nanny and poppy for the New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. My mom and I were their sole caregivers and we continue to share the story of those that are fighting this cure with us.”
She explained the importance of getting your voice out there and sharing experiences.
“Thank you so much you to the Alzeheimer’s Association, the New York City Chapter, for providing countless resources and support and for providing people like my mom and I with the strength and the courage to keep on going. It’s up to us to share the experiences and get out there to those elected officials so we can increase federal resource funding in hopes of finding a cure. It’s up to me and all of you around me in that sea of purple to put an end to this disease once and for all. Thank you for walking and thank you for fighting this fight with me.”