Page 15 - Holly Carney Issue (3)

Holly and John knew
they had to do some-
thing so they stepped in
to help, not only taking
her into their home, but
doing whatever was
necessary to help her
get back on track. This
wasn’t easy. Kodi didn’t
make it easy. Before
long it seemed as if the
Carneys were spending
an in ordinate amount
of time bailing Kodi out.
She was in and out of
Juvenile hall four times.
As Holly noted, “We
brought Kodi into our
home and she brought a
lot of bad stuff with her.
She was a wounded
bird and we brought her
into our home to try and
help her heal. When
you have a wounded
bird and you bring it into
your nest, you have to
keep the other little birds
from getting wounded
too. We understand
our priorities; they are
God, each other and our
Kids.” San Diego
Holly did her part to be Woman
there for Kodi and to try
and convince her that
she belonged in their 15
home, in their family, and
in their hearts. “It was
an eye opening experi-
ence for me. It made me
realize how tough these
situations are on the
families of these teens.
It is embarrassing and
very difficult for moms
and dads to face the fact
that their children have
made mistakes and these
mistakes may impact
their entire lives.” Holly
realized that Kodi was
lucky: She had a strong
support network and a lot
more resources at hand
than most teens in crisis.
It was this realization that
led Holly and John to cre-
ate an annual fund raising event for these children and their families; hence the creation of Dinner with the Pros
(http://www.dinnerwiththepros.org/). Holly realized that through their friends, and the network of sports celebrities they knew
and had access to, they could create a way in which to raise funds.

July/August 2008