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Date Posted: 01:58:24 05/10/05 Tue
Author: Anonymous
Subject: ATTN TITLEHOLDERS: PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LESLIE A. MAZZARA MEMORIAL FUNDRAISER. Thank you.

CALLING ALL TITLEHOLDERS

Hello, my name is Mrs. Renee’ and I am the mother of Grace Edwards Spears, the new Miss Charleston Teen USA 2006 and 3rd runner-up to Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2005. I am also a pageant judge. Grace competed on the glitz pageant circuit from 2001 – 2003, winning many titles and establishing many pageant friends and sisters. Since the 2002- 2003 pageant season, Grace has won the titles of Miss Walterboro Teen MAO (SC Miss America Organization) 2002, Miss Anderson Teen MAO 2003, Miss Aiken Teen USA 2004-05, and Miss Charleston Teen USA 2005-06.

I am asking for your support in a Memorial Day weekend fundraiser in memory of a dear friend, who became a 2nd daughter to our family. Please take the time to read the information below the line after my message, from Ms. Renee Tollison, the former Miss Anderson and Miss Williamston MAO (SC Miss America Organization) Local Executive Director and Miss Anderson and Miss Blue Ridge SC USA Director.

In February 2003, my daughter had the fortune to win the first Miss Anderson Teen MAO title and was crowned by the new Local Executive Director, Miss Leslie A. Mazzara. Leslie, like Grace, was a dancer, and was thrilled to have a teen with ballet as her talent. This was the beginning of a wonderful bond that began between Leslie and Grace. Leslie moved to Columbia, SC after she graduated from the University of Georgia, to be nearer to Grace and the Columbia Conservatory of Dance and Gowns and Crowns (www.gownsandcrown.com), so she could assist with Grace’s preparation for the Miss South Carolina Teen MAO 2003 pageant. She was also dating a nice young man, from Columbia at that time.

In March 2004, Leslie was presented with an opportunity to move to Napa, CA, to live with her mother. Later she met some neighbors who lived near her mother, and she moved in with them. She became employed at a winery, owned by Hollywood director, Francis Ford Coppola, and was rapidly promoted. Leslie had dreams of being an entertainment lawyer or doing something involving the world of movies, and what better person to work for!

On November 1, 2004, after having a nice Halloween evening, Leslie and one of her roommates were murdered. The killer has not been found and her investigation is ongoing. This tragedy struck too close to home. We were all completely devastated and felt profound loss, especially Grace. We especially became more upset when we saw how the local, state, and national news jumped all over this story, exploiting the “Beauty Queen and her Rommate’s” murder. I am sure many of you who read this, may recall the media fiasco. This really upset Grace, because Leslie was more than just a beauty queen. In fact she competed in only 2 or 3 pageants.

For this reason, and because we have so many friends out there in the pageant community, I am seeking your help to promote and participate with an event to raise funds for abused children in Leslie’s memory. Leslie was a child abuse advocate and loved children. Many of you titleholders have community service requirements to maintain your title. This is an excellent opportunity and great photo-op. Plus you will get to meet many infamous titleholders from around the state

Directors, please follow the instructions on the website www.lesliemazzarafund.com, to create a label for a donation jar and flyer(s) to place on your registration tables at your upcoming pageants and pageants to be held after Memorial Day weekend. I challenge you all to print out a pledge form and go out there and seek donations in your cities, towns, and communities.

Your assistance means more to me, my husband, and to Grace than you will ever know. Should you have any questions that you would like to direct to me, instead of Renee Tollison, you can email me at beautyqueen@sc.rr.com. I am thanking you, in advance, for your participation. By the way, the Freedom Weekend Aloft Festival draws more than 200,000 people, annually, from all over the USA. Won’t you come and help us in this very worthwhile endeavor? And for some reason, Grace is excited that Ryan Cabrera will be one of the entertainers. As a mom, I don’t know who Mr. Cabrera is and why this news makes my daughter so happy. Maybe you young titleholders can enlighten me!

Sincerely and thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Mrs. Renee’ Edwards Spears

P.S. Here is a little information, regarding the Freedom Weekend Aloft Festival:

Description
This twenty-four year old non-profit event annually offers attendees a relaxing, family oriented, affordable and fun-filled weekend which includes: 100 hot air balloons, concerts, Disc Dog Competition, interactive sponsor displays, amusement rides and games, two regional music stages, soccer and softball tournaments, beach party, vendors market, great food and much, much more while raising money for local and regional charities.

Entertainment
Friday: Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels Band Saturday: Ryan Cabrera and Gavin DeGraw Sunday: John Waite and Edwin McCain, Free Beatles Tribute Show Monday: Free Beach Blast with The Embers and The Catalinas
___________________________________________________________


CALLING ALL TITLEHOLDERS

We’re so excited to share with you the opportunity to participate in a major fund-raising event to be held as a part of this year’s Freedom Weekend Aloft in Anderson May 27 - 30 from 12 to 11 p.m. daily. Specifically, the fund-raiser is called “Sit for Stephanie” with proceeds from the annual event going to benefit Stephanie’s Cottages at the Calvary Home for Children. Calvary Home for Children is a long-term residential care facility that will provide a home for abused, neglected and orphaned children from all over the Southeastern United States with special consideration given to children from the upstate of South Carolina and surrounding areas.

This year’s event is being held in memory of Leslie Mazzara, Miss Williamston 2002. Leslie’s grace, charm and generosity touched everyone she met. She was an Anderson County resident and graduate of Belton-Honea Path High School, a member of the Greenville Ballet Company and attended the SC Governor’s School for the Arts. She graduated in 2003 from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Leslie was crowned Miss Williamston 2002 and went on to compete in the 2002 Miss South Carolina Pageant. As Miss Williamston, Leslie chose child abuse awareness and prevention as her platform after hearing about the case of Stephanie Carter. Stephanie was the four-year-old Anderson girl who died on October 17, 2000, after a year of torture at the hands of her father and stepmother. Leslie became an advocate for abused and neglected children by speaking at church and school events to raise awareness, by promoting legislation for the cause and by conducting fund-raisers for Stephanie’s Cottage at Calvary Home for Children.

Leslie came up with the idea of a sit-a-thon whereby participants collect pledges/donations during the days/weeks leading up to the event. Then during the event, participants sit for one hour inside a taped-out box the size of the bathroom in which little Stephanie spent her last days on this earth locked away. This is a very powerful statement and creates a lasting impression upon those who witness the event.

Tragedy struck in the early morning hours of November 1, 2004. Leslie and a roommate, Adrianne Insogna, were fatally stabbed in their Napa, California home where they were living at the time. As of this date, the murders remain unsolved. It is a tragic irony that someone so passionate about an evil of society would herself become a victim at another’s hands.

The family and friends of Leslie Mazzara wish to create a lasting memorial in her honor. The goal of the Leslie Mazzara Memorial Fund is to raise money for a third cottage at Calvary Home for Children in Anderson, South Carolina. This home will serve as a tribute to Leslie and her mission of preventing the horrors of child abuse. Proceeds from the Sit for Stephanie 2005 will benefit both Stephanie’s Cottages as well as Leslie’s Cottage.

We have enlisted the assistance of Anna Hanks, Miss Greenville 2005, and Lauren Taylor, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2005, in planning and organizing this event. Please contact one of us at the numbers listed below or by e-mail as soon as possible to schedule a one-hour time slot. Of course, you are encouraged to come as often and stay as long as you want. We’d like to have two or three girls “sitting” at all times (12 - 11 p.m.) with more during the heaviest attendance times from 4 - 8 p.m. Although we’re focusing on having titleholders sit, anyone who would like to may participate.

During the sit-a-thon at Freedom Weekend Aloft, participants will sign autographs and pose for pictures with FWA attendees that will be taken digitally, printed out and autographed onsite, all for a donation to Calvary Home. Other activities include Sonlight karaoke, beauty make-overs with photo shoots, face-painting and other fun activities for children. Singers, please bring your own background music and plan to help us entertain the crowds. We’re also seeking your help in acquiring multiple items to be raffled off during the four days. It doesn’t have to be anything big, although that would be wonderful; it can be almost anything of value. Just bring the items with you when you come for the sit, and they will go into the “pot” for that day. Depending on the donations, we may even have multiple drawings per day.

Everything you need can be found on the Leslie Mazzara Memorial Fund web site at www.lesliemazzarafund.com . The site is still under construction, so please check back often for updates. Please let us know if you have any problems with the site. Also, please visit the Calvary Home for Children web site at www.calvaryhome.org so that you will be armed with the knowledge you will need when asking for cash donations or items for the raffles. The most important thing you will need to know is that Calvary Home serves children from the “upstate and beyond,” not just from Anderson.

We appreciate the many responses we have already received in regard to the Leslie Mazzara Memorial Fund and are hopeful that the “Sit for Stephanie 2005" fund-raiser, along with others we have planned for later this year, will raise the $250,000 needed to build Leslie’s Cottage. I know we can count on Leslie’s “pageant family” to help us meet this challenge.

Please help us spread the word by e-mail, message board or word of mouth. If you need any further information, please let us know.

Renee Tollison, Event Coordinator, 224-6836 or 934-6279, rtollison@lesliemazzarafund.com

Anna Hanks, Miss Greenville MAO 2005, Miss South Carolina USA 2003,
and top-12, Miss USA 2003. (864)356-2504

Lauren Taylor, Miss Blue Ridge Teen USA 2004-05 and Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2005. (864)907-4444

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