Racing against abuse
Issue date: 8/31/05 Section: News
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Evan J. Hampton
News Editor
On The Amazing Race the finish line came, but the reward had already been given. For a non-televised race now in play, Kelly McCorkle, NGC class of 2001 and former Miss South Carolina, will reach the finish line first and rightly so.
McCorkle is out to achieve a goal to raise money for a new addition to the Calvary Home for Children, located in Anderson County. Calvary Home handles abused, neglected and orphaned children, with an emphasis on keeping siblings together.
The new addition to the Calvary Home will be named after Kelly's best friend, Leslie Mazzara. Mazzara was a former Miss South Carolina contestant alongside McCorkle, and she used "Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention" as her platform after hearing of the case of young Stephanie Carter.
Stephanie was a 4-year-old Anderson County girl who died Oct. 17, 2000, after a year of torture and abuse by the hands of her father and stepmother. Leslie Mazzara became immensely passionate about protecting South Carolina against abuse, and dedicated most of her time to work with Calvary Home for Children. Her goal was to make the issue of abuse clearly known.
In 2004, Leslie and her roommate, Adrianne Insogna, were murdered in their Napa, Calif., home. The fatal stabbings remain unsolved. The family and friends of Leslie Mazzara dream of making a third cottage at Calvary Home for Children as a memorial in Leslie's honor.
A close friend to Mazzara, McCorkle was about to compete for a $1 million prize on The Amazing Race when she received the news of her friend Leslie's death.
"At the time, I was working for Jim DeMint, who was running for Senator," said McCorkle. "I was in the parking lot when my mom called. I knew it was urgent, and I didn't want to wait until I got home to hear the news. I just kept calling her [Leslie] on her cell, but got no answer. This happened about two weeks before I left for the race."
News Editor
On The Amazing Race the finish line came, but the reward had already been given. For a non-televised race now in play, Kelly McCorkle, NGC class of 2001 and former Miss South Carolina, will reach the finish line first and rightly so.
McCorkle is out to achieve a goal to raise money for a new addition to the Calvary Home for Children, located in Anderson County. Calvary Home handles abused, neglected and orphaned children, with an emphasis on keeping siblings together.
The new addition to the Calvary Home will be named after Kelly's best friend, Leslie Mazzara. Mazzara was a former Miss South Carolina contestant alongside McCorkle, and she used "Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention" as her platform after hearing of the case of young Stephanie Carter.
Stephanie was a 4-year-old Anderson County girl who died Oct. 17, 2000, after a year of torture and abuse by the hands of her father and stepmother. Leslie Mazzara became immensely passionate about protecting South Carolina against abuse, and dedicated most of her time to work with Calvary Home for Children. Her goal was to make the issue of abuse clearly known.
In 2004, Leslie and her roommate, Adrianne Insogna, were murdered in their Napa, Calif., home. The fatal stabbings remain unsolved. The family and friends of Leslie Mazzara dream of making a third cottage at Calvary Home for Children as a memorial in Leslie's honor.
A close friend to Mazzara, McCorkle was about to compete for a $1 million prize on The Amazing Race when she received the news of her friend Leslie's death.
"At the time, I was working for Jim DeMint, who was running for Senator," said McCorkle. "I was in the parking lot when my mom called. I knew it was urgent, and I didn't want to wait until I got home to hear the news. I just kept calling her [Leslie] on her cell, but got no answer. This happened about two weeks before I left for the race."