PARADISE, Texas — In the 72 hours that gripped the communities of Paradise, Boyd and Cottondale one year ago when 7-year-old Athena Strand disappeared, the little girl's favorite color pink became the calling card of hope: on balloons, on T-shirts, on banners, on holiday decorations.
One year later, on the anniversary of her death, pink is sending an additional message: a community that promises to remember her forever.
Abbi King and Cody Jackson work for Home Town Tees, a company that quickly ran out of those in-demand pink T-shirts last year. On Nov. 30, the anniversary of Athena's sudden disappearance, they were stringing pink balloons on the front porch of their Main Street Paradise store.
"For such a small community it was like there was no way this happened in Paradise," said Jackson of Athena's abduction and murder.
The 7-year-old's body was found 72 hours later -- next to County Road 4668 near Boyd. A pink cross topped with a princess tiara -- surrounded by Barbie dolls and stuffed animals -- still stands at the site.
“Because we will always say her name," Abbie King said of the memorial and the re-emergence of pink decorations, lighting and clothing throughout this corner of Wise County.
The Cottondale Volunteer Fire Department has changed its outdoor lighting to pink and added pink Christmas lights over the station front door. And the firefighters are asking everyone in the community to do the same through Dec. 2, the day Athena was found.
“You had pretty much everybody in Wise County looking for her. I mean we all came together as one," said volunteer firefighter Ty Watson.
“Seeing the FBI trailer right here, and all that stuff, was a shocker," volunteer firefighter Nathan Barnett said of the massive response he witnessed last year on this date.
“We just want to show the community that she’s not going to be forgotten and that we do care," added Watson.
Athena’s mom, Maitlyn Gandy, made a Facebook post asking for privacy on this difficult anniversary. But she also wanted to offer thanks to “everyone for your support and kindness… I look forward to seeing everyone wear pink for Athena."
When WFAA found King at the Home Town Tees store in Paradise, she was already wearing her favorite pink shirt. It has Athena's name on the front. On the back it says, "we will always say her name."
“Her mom," an emotional King said in a message for Gandy. "We just want her mom to know she is not forgotten.”
“We will never forget her, ever," Jackson added. "Even if 25 years down the road, it will always be Athena.”
And when justice finally arrives for Athena – they promise to wear pink on that day too.