Lambertville will toast the winner of the ‘Joe Millionaire’ reality show with a ceremony, parade and lunch.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE The city will host Zora Day Saturday, March 29, in honor of the resident who won fame and half a million dollars on the reality television series "Joe Millionaire" Zora Andrich.
"I think she’s really looking forward to this. She’s very excited about it," said Elizabeth Dilts, who is coordinating the festivities along with nine others on a committee.
The idea of a Zora Day strikes Ms. Andrich and those who know her as the kind of event that happens to someone else, not the down-to-earth 29-year-old who has worked as a substitute teacher, a gym attendant and a care aide to elderly patients.
"She and her friends are all a little, sort of, amused by this, that Zora has a day. That’s sort of surreal for them," said Ms. Dilts, who said she spoke with Ms. Andrich Monday as plans continued to unfold for the event.
Zora Day also is "a celebration of the hometown spirit in Lambertville. It’s sort of a place where everybody looks out for one another," Ms. Dilts said. "The attitude is a small-town feeling that Lambertville elicits, a positive atmosphere."
The festivities will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with plans for proclamations from Mayor David Del Vecchio and Gov. James McGreevey to be presented to Ms. Andrich. Details were not settled as of Tuesday when Ms. Dilts said she was unsure if the governor would attend the ceremony.
At 10 a.m. a parade will travel from City Hall to the Inn at the Lambertville Station. Featured in the parade will be Ms. Andrich, local VIPs, City Council members and possibly civic groups and Scout organizations.
From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the inn, Ms. Andrich will be available for photographs and autographs.
"There will be a nominal fee, maybe $10 for a photograph and a couple of dollars for an autograph. All money is going to go to local charities," Ms. Dilts said.
A luncheon will be held at the inn from 12:30 to 2 p.m. along with a tribute to Ms. Andrich. The tribute will take the form of a "This Is Your Life" type of roast, with family and friends recalling "Zora, the girl she was before she was famous," Ms. Dilts said.
No details were available on who will speak at the tribute, although Ms. Andrich’s grandmother, friends and a former high school teacher have been invited, Ms. Dilts said.
The luncheon is limited to 100 persons at a cost of $25 per person. Funds raised above the cost of the meal will go to charity, according to Ms. Dilts.
The first meeting of the Zora Day Planning Committee was held March 15. In addition to Ms. Dilts, the committee includes Dan Whitaker, Dr. Don Hart, Larry McHugh, Fire Chief Robert Hayes, Director of Police Bruce Cocuzza, Bill Houck, Alcom Jathy, Mick Byers and Rick Buscavage.