Kelly McCorkle set to raise thousands for children

This weekend, if you are near Anderson, SC, then you could help my friend Kelly McCorkle raise money to benefit Calvary Home for Abused and Neglected Children and meet several contestants from Amazing Race 7, including the winners Uchenna and Joyce and celebrity couple Rob and Amber.

This weekend Anderson will be the home to a smaller version of the Amazing Race, the Raising Race, where contestants will go around the area looking for clues and the next stop culminating in a celebration open to the public where everyone can meet the celebrities.

Kelly has recently been on morning shows promoting the fundraiser and the upcoming 48 Hours episode featuring the unsolved murder of Kelly's best friend - Leslie Mazzara.

All the proceeds from the Raising Race will go to the Leslie Mazzara Memorial Fund, which was established to build a new home for abused children in memory of Leslie, who championed the cause of abused children like Stephanie Carter.

While she was alive Leslie didn't just use abused children as a beauty queen platform, she was actively involved in raising awareness and money. One way was Sit for Stephanie.

Leslie got the idea of doing a sit-a-thon after reviewing court transcripts of the trial of one of Stephanie's abusers. During the trial, on the floor in front of the jury box, Solicitor Druanne White taped out a diagram of the tiny half-bath where Stephanie was locked away for 80 to 90 percent of the last year of her life. As part of her closing argument to the jury, Ms. White sat quietly on the floor inside the box for one minute. This silent demonstration made such an impact on the jury that the defendant was found guilty of homicide by child abuse and sentenced to life in prison. Leslie knew that a similar demonstration would also impact anyone who viewed it, hence the idea for the sit-a-thon.

The sit-a-thon raised over $1,200 in 2004 and close to $1,500 in 2005.

If you are not going to be near South Carolina this weekend, you can go to the website and help there. They have a form you can print out and mail back with your donation or you can hit the pay pal button.