Dancing For A Decade: Meet Enfield's Liberty Tax Icon

ENFIELD, CT — Seddy Hewitt is not a mail carrier, but in his job at Liberty Tax Service, he seems to follow the unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Working seasonally from January through mid-April, Hewitt rarely has to deal with heat; however, add in the occasional shower caused by speeding vehicles hitting puddles near the intersection he has worked for the past 10 years, and it applies just the same. In the dead of winter, he faithfully performs his duties as a Liberty ambassador, adorned in the company's traditional Statue of Liberty costume, which he augments with a Pittsburgh Steelers knit hat.

Originally from New London, Hewitt moved to Enfield nearly 22 years ago, graduating from Enfield High School in 2007. His full name is Shedrick Johnnie Howard Daniel Hewitt Jr.; "my grandma called me Seddy," he said in a rainy interview Saturday.

Hewitt said he had no real sense of direction once he got out of school, but that changed thanks to some help from a dear friend.

"I had nothing, no real job, just short term stuff," he said, listing tobacco, Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts among his past occupations. "I went through a health crisis, depression, when my grandma passed away. One day, my friend Dorie asked if I wanted to work at Liberty Tax."

He joined the company in Jan. 2011 as a "waver," whose purpose is to attract attention for the tax service. Hewitt admitted he didn't quite catch on for a while.

"When I first started, I was awful, and I questioned why I was here," he recalled. "As the season went on and I got the hang of it, people started greeting me, and that motivated me. Females started coming up to me and taking pictures, and I started thinking, 'Wow, this job is very good.' By my fifth season, it hit me that this could be something real."

Initially, the wavers carried signs to promote the business, "but then they wanted us to dance," Hewitt said. "I added skipping and running on the sidewalk. In cold weather, it's brutal out here. You've got to put your mind, your heart and your soul into it. Life's too short. This is where my heart and soul are. I've put a lot of passion into this the last few years."

Hewitt is not only dedicated to his passion with Liberty, but has also worked for the past three years unloading trucks at Target. "Sometimes I go in at 4 a.m. and I'm only on three hours sleep," he said.

His enthusiasm has made him a cultural icon in Enfield, as he works at one of the busiest intersections in town. Liberty Tax is at 73 Hazard Ave., with junctions on Palomba Dr. and Middle Rd.

Liberty night manager Kathy Stempeck said, "Seddy steps up to do anything we need him to do, and people love him out there. He is a really nice person, he would do anything for anybody and he doesn't really ask for anything in return."

Enfield resident Barbara Wood told Patch, "He is truly amazing. He always brings a smile to your face, and he just has an incredible dance move. He always makes any day brighter."

"That intersection is my signature," he said. "I try to be a positive thing for everybody to see. If you're having a bad day, use me as an influence to help you feel better. People take pictures, beep at me - it's a surreal feeling. I don't have the words to describe how I feel about this. It's a loving feeling."

Video: Tim Jensen/Patch

Two of Seddy's fans recently paid a visit to assist him in his duties: Duke the Great Dane, and Rosie the Rottweiler. Photo: Kathy Stempeck

To register for free Enfield news alerts and more, click here.