Seans Last Wish

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P.O. Box 5697 Greenville, SC 29606 Home
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Sean's Last Wish is an educational tax exempt 501(C)3 non-profit organization. It was established to support and educate the public through involvement in the community, to embrace diversity and non-conflict violence resolution. Click HERE to read more.. .

Who Was Sean Kennedy?

Sean Kennedy was a caring, loving young man and a leader in his circle of friends and community by standing up for their rights. He was the victim of a hate crime on May 16th 2007 in Greenville SC.

SLW aims to change hearts and minds through educating people about how bullying, hatred, violence, prejudice and religious beliefs leads to senseless crimes.

Our educational panel, a total of 40 ft. long, has traveled to countless events across the Southeast. Click HERE to visit our online panel....

Education

No mother should ever have to bury her child

No mother should ever have to lose her child to hate or violence

No mother should ever have to fight for justice for her child

- Elke Kennedy

Elke Kennedy, The Mother

Founder of SLW

Want to find out the latest news on SLW?

To find out about what's happening and to see how we're impacting our community at the local, state and federal levels, CLICK HERE to see our calendar of events, press releases and news articles.

Sean's Last Wish will travel nationwide! Please show your support and help us change hearts and minds across America!

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About SLW

Sean's Last Wish Foundation was established 2 weeks after Sean Kennedy's murder to raise awareness to the fact that in the State of South Carolina, law enforcement officials, solicitors and judges do not have the tools with which to investigate crimes of violence and intimidation that are motivated by bias against actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim. South Carolina does, however, have penalty enhancement laws that protect law enforcement personnel, school officials, state officials, churches, as well as animals (horses, mules, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, cats and dogs). SC only has first degree murder (30 years to life) and involuntary manslaughter (0-5 years). We must start to identify and document all bias motivated crimes and expand existing penalty enhancements for crimes motivated by racism, religion, ethnicity, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice. We must add a second degree murder charge and expand the voluntary manslaughter charge to include all crimes, not only crimes for legal provocation and heat of passion. Once we have these laws passed, the 25 year gap will be filled. Only then can justice prevail.SC is one of 5 states in the US that does not have a current law to protect against bias motivated crimes.On October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama finally signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James E. Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act to expand the existing federal hate crime law to include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability and military personnel and their families. The initial federal hate crime law was established in 1964 and included race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. After 45 years, this is now the first law in the history of the United States that is all inclusive and protects everybody against crime of violence and intimidation that are motivated by bias against actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability and military personnel and their families.This law also provides education and financial support to any state that requires support to prosecute a hate crime.My husband Jim and I received a special invitation from the White House to be part of this historic event. It was an honor for us to represent the state of SC and the LGBT community.However, changing laws and having the federal law in place is only a deterrent, not the solution.Sean's Last Wish - Approach and PrioritiesWe need to educate the public about the gaps in the laws, current issues and restrictions we have in our judicial system. This can only be achieved by:- Building coalition with other organizations to bring to pass a second degree murder charge and expand the voluntary manslaughter sentence to be all inclusive. Having these two sentencing laws in place will close the current 25 year sentencing gap. - Putting a requirement in place to start identifying, recording and reporting all bias motivated crimes.- Working with our coalition partners to introduce a penalty enhancement law that is applied to any bias motivated crime when the sentence is less than first degree murder. This must include a strong educational component for law enforcement, solicitors and judges to be able to identify, investigate and charge people with a bias motivated crime and must be able to be applied by a judge and/or a jury.- Second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and then penalty enhancement laws must be in place to ensure justice for all. - Penalty enhancement laws / hate crime laws must be applied to all bias motivated crimes and are not effective until we start to identify, record and report all bias motivated crimes.- Educating the public and especially our young people on how bullying, hatred, intolerance, prejudice, violence and religious beliefs can lead to senseless crimes like Sean's murder and so many others. - Provide information on what they can do to resolve conflicts in non-violent manners. - Take our educational panel and go to universities, colleges, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools, churches and other private and public events to educate our youth and adults and let them know there are choices. - Work with law enforcement, school officials, teachers and administrators, civic groups, city and county council members to embrace diversity and provide the appropriate laws and ordinances to assure equal protection under the law.In SC, each school district has its own bullying policy which are about 86 different policies and with different ways to be applied. We need to have one statewide tougher all inclusive bullying law that protects everybody and consequences are applied equally.South Carolina needs to have all inclusive laws which protect everyone from bias motivated crimes. These laws will give law enforcement officials the tools to deter violence which make society safer as a whole. Allowing the criminal justice system to address hate-specific violence will chip away at a culture of intolerance. All inclusive penalty enhancement laws would prevent plea bargaining and prevent perpetrators from being paroled when they inflict bodily harm or cause death to any human being due to acts of bias motivated violence.The types of laws that are generally referred to as hate crimes laws and are a type of penalty enhancement law would provide sentencing guidelines for perpetrators convicted of such crimes. It should have a minimum additional penalty, should prevent plea bargaining and parole. It simply can no longer be tolerated that people can attack and even kill others with the possibility of walking away with no jail time! Sean has always talked about and supported that all human beings should be treated equally and have the same rights under the law regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity. To accomplish this we must educate the public about the gap in the laws to make sure that we have equal protection under the law for all human beings.Sean's Last Wish is an educational, tax exempt 501(C)3 organization. Together, we must work diligently to change hearts and minds through educating people about how bullying, hatred, violence, prejudice and religious bigotry lead to senseless crimes. We must teach each other that differences should be a source of strength, rather than a source of division. We must learn to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner with patience and respect rather than frustration and anger.Sean's last wish would be to have this changed! Let's stand together and get this changed!
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Who Was Sean
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" Sean Kennedy was a caring, loving young man and a leader in his circle of friends and community by standing up for their rights. He was the victim of a hate crime on May 16th 2007 in Greenville, SC."

He was a leader, kind and non-judging, caring and compassionate and loved by so many. He was happy to be who he was and stood up for what he believed in. He had reached all the dreams and hopes this mother could ask for and he accomplished this in only 20 years.

I am proud to be his mother!

One of my earliest memories goes back to when Sean was about 3 years old. We were at his aunt's wedding and he was wearing a light grey pin-striped suit. During the reception, when nobody was on the dance floor, he suddenly got up from the table and went onto the dance floor and started to do his impression of John Travolta in Saturday Night Live. He had a serious look on his face as if he had to concentrate on what he was doing. We all laughed at what we saw; but he continued to dance for about 10 minutes, not caring about who was around him and then went back to his chair--just like that!Sean was the youngest of three children. He was born in Charleston SC on April 8th 1987. He has an older sister named Dawn and an older brother named John Jr.Sean loved all kinds of music. He used to sing "Mr. Jones and Me" at the top of his lungs when his dad played his music. He could never stand or sit still when he heard music. He could pick up any instrument and play any song he just heard on the radio.Even at a young age Sean never understood why people treated each other differently and he wanted to change that. When Sean was in 8th grade, he was in a play and his role was Bob Dillon. In this play, he speaks of equal rights and how his generation must fight this fight to stop discrimination. Together we can fight the war of equal rights for all in our communities and country.I remember his enthusiasm for band when he started middle school and how many people he recruited for marching band because of his enthusiasm. One of these young people, who never thought of being in marching band, went to USC on a band scholarship. Even his band teacher in high school would comment on the fact that could not stand still even for a minute when he heard music. He was drum major in his junior and senior years and recruited even more people to try to keep the band alive, because they only had 10 members at the beginning of the school year and by the end they had over 20 members. He was so proud of having a part in the growth of the band.There were many evenings and nights when I came home to find many of his friends sleeping on my living room floor. When I asked who they were, he would say they are my friends. Later I found out that many of these people he had just befriended that day/night and they had no place to go. Many stayed several days, or would be back every so often, One particular story comes to mind This young man was thrown out of his Christian university and his parents home for being gay. Sean met him as he was sitting on the curb of a street. Sean befriended him, brought him home, listened, gave him food and a change of clothes. I was later told by this same young man at the hospital that he might not be here today if it wasn't for the kindness he received from Sean, because he felt that nobody cared about him and his life.Sean had a lot of hopes and dreams. He wanted to go to Las Vegas for his 21st birthday. He wanted to be a web designer. He wanted to travel - especially to visit his grandmother's grave in Germany. I can't help but remember my son as a person who had a love for life and people and an irresistible smile to go with his personality. Sean loved everybody regardless of who they were or what they believed in or stood for. He never judged anybody but was always there to help people, either by listening or giving them whatever they needed (food, a place to stay, clothes, etc).Sean always seemed to stand up for people who were shy or didn't have any friends.However, Sean was like any other young person dealing with growing up. I found out after his death that he himself had been bullied often and threatened to be beaten up.Sean knew at an early age that he was different. He did not let others know until he was about 17 years old and in high school. One day, after he had just told a few of his friends that he was gay, he came out of school to find the word Fag carved into the side of his truck. He was mad and it shook him up but I think it was then that he decided that he would not live in fear - he was going to live life and be there for others.After that he told me that he was gay. He said, "Mom, if you don't want to love me anymore, I'll understand". I told him that there is nothing he could ever do to make me stop loving him.As a mother you have goals, dreams and hopes for your children before they are even born. I remember when I was carrying Sean about all of my dreams and hopes I had for him. I wanted him to be a leader, kind, non-judging, considerate and compassionate about life and other people. But most of all I wanted him to feel loved and to be happy about who he was and stand up for what he believed.As his mother I was worried about the intolerance of others about who he was. But I thought with him being such a caring non judging person, how could anybody hate him?On May 16 2007 at about 3:45 am Sean was leaving a local bar in Greenville SC. A car was parked outside the door of the bar. One of the 3 boys in the car called Sean over and asked him for a cigarette. Sean gave him a cigarette and was walking away, when the guy from the back seat got out of the car. came around the car, approached my son and called him "fagot". He punched him and Sean fell to the ground. Sean's murderer got back into the car and left my son dying there. A little later he left a message on one of the girl's phones who knew Sean saying, "You tell your fagot friend that when he wakes up he owes me $500 for my broken hand". And I am saying this nicely.When I got to the hospital, the doctors told me that his injuries were non survivable because his brain had ricocheted in his head, separating the brain from his brainstem..Later the autopsy showed that Sean's cheek bones had been shattered as well.As the story unfolded that day, it became clear to me that my son WOULD die because somebody hated him for being gay, for loving LIFE and people, and for being who he was!There were so many stories told to me that day and night about how they need Sean and could not live without him. Several of these young people plus 75 others I have met since Sean's murder contacted me on Mother's Day to make sure I was all right. For most this was the first time in many years they were able to call someone on Mother's Day.Sean was also an organ donor so his last gift was the gift of life! He saved 5 people and they are all doing well. If you have not already done so, I urge you to sign up to be an organ donor.As a mother, you dread receiving a phone call at 4:30 in the morning telling you that something has happened to your child, but that is exactly what happened to me on May 16th 2007. As a parent, you look for a safe community to raise your children. I thought Greenville, SC was such a place, but I was wrong.After his death I found out just how many people Sean has touched and had a positive impact on. There were over 750 people at his memorial service.He was a leader, kind and non-judging, caring and compassionate and loved by so many. He was happy about who he was and stood up for what he believed in. He had reached all the dreams and hopes this mother could ask for and he accomplished this in only 20 years.I am proud to be his mother!
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Elke Kennedy

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Mother's Son Ripped Out Of Her Lifeby Elke KennedyAs our children grow up, a mother is always there to protect them, to make sure they are safe and that they dont get hurt. But as a mother, you always worry about getting that phone call. No one ever believes it can happen to us. Well, it did happen to me. May 16th 2007 is that day for me, one I will never forget or get over.... On that day, my beautiful baby Sean was murdered because of hate. I never had the chance to say goodbye, to tell him I love him one more time. That morning, when the phone rang and woke me out of a sound sleep, I briefly glanced at the clock and it was 4:30 am. As I answered the phone, I had a bad feeling in my stomach, which got worse, once I heard the voice at the other end stating that it was the Greenville Hospital. After confirming who I was, they told me that something had happened to my son Sean at Brews, a local night club, and I needed to get to the hospital as fast as possible. When I asked if he was all right, I was just told to get there fast. I woke up my husband, jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, while thinking how bad it could possibly be and what could have happened. I just saw him a couple of hours ago! What could have happened? As I drove to the hospital, the sagging feeling in my stomach got worse, but I still told myself, with reassurance from my husband, that Sean is okay. He just had to be! I called Seans dad, to let him know what was going on and that I was on my way to the hospital. He said he was on his way.When I got to the hospital, I was greeted by several of Seans friends. They were crying and very upset, telling me they didnt know how Sean was. I only got bits and pieces on what happened from them, but I started to think that this had to be worse then I originally thought, or wanted to believe. I remember consoling and crying with Seans friends, but also telling them that I am sure Sean will be okay--he just had to be!After I spoke to the nurse at the ER desk, explaining who I was, they told me that I could not see him right now. They were still running tests and they would take me back to see him as soon as possible. My family, his friends and I were asked to wait in a separate waiting room. The pastor on call came to talk with us. Now I knew that it had to be very serious!I noticed, that one of his friends had blood on her jeans; as they were talking and telling me what happened, I found out that she was the one who found Sean lying outside the bar bleeding. She held him and rode with him to the hospital in the ambulance.When I finally got to see my son, my knees buckled. There he was, lying flat on his back, stitches on his upper lip, blood on his hair and neck, etc. and hooked up to life support. As I stood there, I held his hand and he felt so cold. All I wanted to do was to hold him and keep him warm. I kissed his lips and told him that Mama was here now and he could wake up. I told him how very much I loved him. I remember praying, asking God to let me take his place.When the doctor came, he explained that the tests revealed that Sean had severe brain damage and his injuries were non-survivable! I screamed, "What does this mean - my baby is gone!? I screamed inside and out, that this cannot be, he cannot be gone! This is a hospital, the doctors are supposed to heal people! I sank to my knees. My husband held me up as I stood over Sean. Again, I prayed and I asked God to let me take his place Sean hadnt been able to live his life. This was on May 16, 2007, a day I will never forget.I had to make a call to my son, who was on vacation with his girlfriend; and call my daughter, who had just started a job in Germany a few days before, to tell them that their brother was hurt and he may not make it. I didnt want to tell my daughter over the phone that her brother was dying, but I also didnt want her to hear it on the news, or find out on the internet. How much I wanted to be there with her she was all alone. I wanted to hold her, comfort her, but I couldnt.I was numb, everybody was looking at me to see what we should do: his dad, sister and brother, friends. How does a family survive something like this? How does a mother survive losing her child, having to bury her child? Nothing made sense! I wanted to curl up on my bed and die. How could I go on without him, without his smile, his love? I am supposed to go before him, before any of my children, but I knew I could not do that. Sean would not want me to let this take me down. He would want me to stand and fight!So to honor Seans wishes, we donated his organs. This way he gives the gift of life and a part of him is still with us. The nurses and doctors with LifePoint really helped us with this and made things easier. They were my light and angels in my worst and darkest hours. Next, I had to make arrangements for the memorial service; we called it his "Celebration of Life". An unbelievable 750 + people came to his Celebration of Life service on May 20, 2007. I never knew how many people Sean had touched and impacted in his short life!You go through the motions, the condolences and all of that, but in reality you still cant believe he is gone. This must be a nightmare but it was real! My baby was gone forever and there was nothing I could do, but I knew that I had to do something. As everything unfolded, I realized that my son was murdered because of hate. The person who attacked him didnt like the fact that he was gay.I had to make sure that he did not die in vain, and that no other person should lose their life because of hate. No other mother should ever have to go through what I am going through everyday, for the rest of my life!My family and I decided that we would start a foundation to remember Sean and to do something about this. We really did not know what we could do, but I did my first interview on TV one week after Seans murder. I started speaking at vigils and other events. Till this day, every time I speak about what happened, it tears my heart out. I could just scream, but I also realize how much support I have and how many people cry with me. Some understood what I was going through and told me how great it was that I speak out, because they couldnt.I used to get onto Sean about him running up the stairs with his heavy elephant feet, talking on his phone loudly, waking me up in the middle of the night. His room was always messy and he was always leaving lights and the TV on when he wasnt there. How trivial all of this seems now!Because now, there are no more footsteps or loud phone conversations. What I would give to have all of this back!You know, there are still days when I think I hear his footsteps and his whisper screams. I think Sean will come walking through the front door any minute, running up the stairs and saying Hi Mom, I'm home. but then I wake up. Or, there are days when I dont want to get out of bed because my heart aches so much for him that I cant stand it!I still have nightmares sometimes, like I am right there watching him being punched in slow motion and I am right there, but I cant save him. I wanted the last words he heard to be me telling him I love you instead of faggot!. I used to be able to think of the years past, some of the things we did together, things Sean did to make us laugh, but now I have a hard time trying to think about those days. Yes, sometimes it's still hard to get up in the morning, but something always tells me that I have to because we have a mission. Any type of death of a child is hard, but something as senseless as a hate crime? His brother, sister, and his friends still struggle with his death everyday. Many parents get divorced over losing a child. I am very lucky to have a husband who has stood by me and is with me every step of the way, who is always by my side, holds me when I need a hug, who stands in front of me when Im tired. He has been my rock throughout this, and I could not have survived these last months without him.My relationships with my daughter and son have changed. She still has a lot of anger and we are no longer able to talk as we used to. My son seems to be moving on, but still has times when he breaks down. He cant understand why this has happened to Sean and our family. We all miss him so much!I still have not taken care of his room, I just cant! Holidays and birthdays are hard; on the first Christmas without him, we all got each other stuff that would remind us of Sean. Of course those made us cry as a family. A part of our family is gone! The hole will always be there and we will always miss him.I have lots of pictures of Sean on my desk at work, at home, my wallet, etc.. At times I can smile when I look at them, and other times I look at them and fall apart. On his 21st birthday, which I dreaded, his friends asked if we could have a birthday party for him so I decided, why not? Sean looked forward to this birthday. We got a huge cake and decorations, and over 275 people came out to The Castle, his favorite club, to celebrate his birthday.On Mothers Day, I got over 75 phone calls from people that I had met in the last year, wishing me a Happy Mothers Day and wanting to make sure I was all right. This meant the world to me!Then came the one year anniversary of his murder and we decided to have a vigil in his memory. Over 200 people showed up! We had a beautiful day! We premiered our educational panel for the first time, and when I spoke, a dove landed on top of the chimney! I didnt see it, but somebody took a picture of it. After we lit the candles, each person got a daisy and we walked over Freedom Bridge to do a flower drop. It was so beautiful, the sun setting and the flowers flowing down the river. The next morning, when I woke up, I looked out of my window and there was a dove sitting right there on our garage, and all of a sudden, I got peace over me I knew Sean was all right!My life has completely changed; I am no longer the person I was before Sean was murdered. I know every morning when I get up, that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.No mother should ever have to bury her child.No mother should ever have to lose her child to hate and violence.No mother should ever have to fight for justice for her child.-Elke Kennedy-

sean with siblings small

News and Events

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Elke was invited to be a guest speaker at the GLAAD Media Awards (Gay & Lesbians Alliance Against Defamation) on March 13, 2010. The relationship between GLAAD and Sean's Last Wish goes back almost 3 years. GLAAD provided Elke & Jim with media training, and continues to support their efforts in telling Sean's story through the media, like CNN, FOX, and Associated Press to the nation and the world.For articles and more pictures, check out http://www.afterelton.com/ and we're featured on the LIFE Magazine Website: http://www.life.com/image/97683702Sean's Last Wish was also at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, California on April 17, 2010.
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Elke speaking at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2010

Press Corner

For more recent events on SLW, please visit us frequently

Poems and Quotes

Poems & Quotes

"I AM " by Sean Kennedy I am I am who I am I am the person you see I would not change Who I am for anybody I do what I do For me No one else I do funny things For myself to have a good time Some people change who they are Just to fit in Change the way they dress But they are really just a mess They need to find themselves Just like I did So they live in happiness And live in bliss "Grin" by Sean Kennedy I stand tall with all of my pride You try to bring me down You hate You discriminate All who are not like you? Yes, your words do hurt But, I stand in the end I am a stronger person Bigger then you My pride keeps me Happy And much better then you My pride keeps me strong through all, thick and thin When I see you unhappy With not friends I'll be standing with a grin
"Seans Last Wish" by Suzy TuskySean. Beautiful young manYour demise has touched our HeartsThere must have been a wondrousPlanFor God chose you to play the partThis sad and bitter worldIs due a wake-up callWe saw the snarling jaws of hateAnd you dear, took the fallYour spirit all encompassingCries out for all to knowWe will join hands, your song toSingAnd vow too never let this goWe must cast light on your purposeLest it all have been in vainToday you have our promise From you, this world has much to GainI see pure determinationThere in your Mothers eyesYour last wish will know realizationOn this you can relyWritten by a dear friend: Suzy Tuske, May 2007"Casting Stones" by Suzy Tusky, 6/25/2007We all swore we would rememberThe lives lost on that date911 would always beThe day America witnessed HateWe huddled close to our familiesNever knowing hate beforeBut then we vowed to take a standAgainst terror in our doorSo, tell me what the difference is?Right here in our own stateWhy should the courts be lenient?When the crime resounds of hateFrom the bullies in our school yardTo the inmates on death rowIs our message loud and clearFor all to hear and know?No matter what your religion or raceYour sexual orientationThe homeless and disabled You are all welcome in our nation.We are all created equallyAnd none deserve to die..With the face of evil the last they SeeBefore they close their eyes.Make the penalty match the crimeGet the governor on the phoneWe are all equal but different stillNow who will cast the first stone?
"You!! Love me for who I Am"-Sean Kennedy"We forfeit three-forths of ourselves in order to be like otherpeople."-Sean Kennedy"Never regret, if it's good it is wonderful, if it is bad it is an experience."-Sean Kennedy"So who knows what's around the corner or down the street, I am just going to live life and find out!"-Sean Kennedy

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Board of Directors

Board of Directors & Volunteer Staff

Elke Kennedy (Founder / Chair) was born in Germany and has lived in SC since 1985. She is the mother of three children and two stepsons. Her youngest son Sean Kennedy was murdered in a hate crime on May 16, 2007. Elke and her family have channeled their grief into a foundation called Seans Last Wish which she started 2 weeks after the murder. She has dedicated her life to assure that no other Mother has to experience the loss of a child because of hate, which she started two weeks after his murder. Elke has traveled over 195,000 miles and attended over 235 events since Sean's murder, to tell Sean's story, and to bring her message about equality and civil rights for all human beings. Elke educates the public about the gaps in the laws and the need for change. She educates people about how bullying, hate and violence lead to beatings, suicides and murder and what needs to be done to change this. She has been to over 47 universities/colleges all over the southeast and New York State to bring her message to our young people to embrace diversity and to show them that they are loved and can be anything they want to be and to provide encouragement. In 2007, Elke was named Q-notes Person of the Year. She received the 2008 Equality Award for the Carolinas from the Human Rights Campaign in February of 2008 for her work for human rights. In her local community of Greenville SC, Elke was named third most influential person in the Upstate in 2007. In November 2008, she was awarded the SC Progressive Networks Thunder and Lighting Award. On September 12, 2009, Elke and her husband Jim were presented the Ryan Wilson Equality Award from the SC Pride Movement during the 2009 SC Pride festival. In October 2009, Elke and Jim received a personal invitation to the White House for the signing of the Federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which they attended. In November 2010, Elke Kennedy was selected from hundreds of nominations to be one of 8 national winners for the 2010 Character Unite award from USA/NBC Network as part of their Character Unite campaign. Elke and her family still reside in Greenville, SC.Leslie Johnson (Treasurer of SLW) was born during WWII in North Carolina. She graduated from Dallas High School (in NC) and UNC-G which prepared her to teach school (all of four years). The love of her life is her husband of 45 years, Charles Johnson. Their two sons are Eric and Nick. She has always believed that all people should be treated fairly. However, she had no idea her life would change when she learned one of her sons was gay. For her, there was no immediate enlightenment, but by the time her son was 26 years old, Leslie along with Carole Lender, co-founded the Greenville PFLAG Chapter. She and Carole hoped that no other children would have to suffer the way their sons have from an unenlightened society. Thankfully, having her son, Eric , has taught her about prejudice and the devastation it causes. Sean's Last Wish is doing the work she believes will make the community a more caring and safer place for all. She is delighted to be a member of the boardPamela Jones (passed July 19, 2011) (Fund Raising) was a transgender activist and a long time member of the community. She was active in her church, the local faith community, PFLAG, the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Community Center, support networks and enjoyed speaking to university classes. She has been a vital asset to SLW and we will miss her!We will always love you and you will always be in our hearts, Pamela Jones! Thank you for all you've done in your community and for SLW! James Allen Parker (Event Planning Coordination& Education) was born in Anchorage, Alaska on February 22, 1958. He is the oldest of 5 children. When his father left the military, they moved back to the upstate region of SC, where he currently resides. Jim has two sons, Jarrod and James (see bio below). He met his current wife, Elke Kennedy, in 2000 and they got married in November 2001. Jim has been very active in the community, in churches, youth programs, and with boy scouts. He has worked in construction all his life. Jim became involved in the foundation after the death of his step son, Sean Kennedy. He is the back bone of every aspects of the logistics for the foundation.Darryl "D" Marchionne (Advisory Board Member/ Fund Raising) Originally from upstate New York, D was born on May 13th, 1971. He is a 1992 graduate of Union College in Schenectady, NY majoring inMechanical Engineering. D relocated to Greenville, SC in 2001 and works as a Senior Engineer at General Electric. He is also the co-leadof the GE Greenville GLBTA Alliance. D loves to read and is a hugeanimal lover.Alexandra Ealick (Southern GSA Network and Youth Outreach Coordinator) was born in Fredericktown, Missourri on April 23.1994. She moved to Greenville, SC in 2008, After being denied her right to have a GSA in her current high school, she started her own support group outside of school, Called Forgayteens Fromgayteens that meets once a month in Spartanburg, SC. http://facebook.com/forgayteens.fromgayteens Alex is also involved in Spartanburg Young Democrats, many other political extracurricularsshe has traveled with SLW to colleges, and many different pride events.Alex enjoys protesting, picketing, and marching for EQUAL RIGHTS and against INJUSTICE.Adrian Gibbs (Southern GSA Network and Youth Outreach Coordinator) Adrian lives in Bluffton, SC and was born on July 13, 1988. She is originally from Columbia, MD and moved to the area to attend the University of South Carolina Beaufort. She is a recent 2012 graduate of their hospitality management program. Hobbies include traveling, laughing, and trying to understand people.William Chelsey Cannon (Advisory Board Member) Current owner of Cannon Supply Inc (since 2003), William was born July 22, 1964, and is a 1982 graduate from Spartanburg Day School; he graduated from Wofford College in 1986. He is currently a resident of Greenville, where he has resided since 2000, and isthe father of two children, Christopher (age 18) and Chelsey(age 16). Williams hobbies include: travel, beach, and trying to understand teenagers. Steven Grayson Rodgers (Advisory Board Member) Steven lives in Greenville, SC and was born January 16, 1971. He is a 1983 graduate of West Rowan High School in Salisbury, NC and a 1993 graduate of the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. His hobbies include travel.VOLUNTEER STAFFDonna R. Clark (Filmmaker/ Videographer)Donna is an award-winning filmmaker who currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated with honors in 2006 with a BA in Media Arts at the University of South Carolina and has received recognition through several organizations, including the National Dean's List and the National Scholars' Honor Society. In addition, she is a proud graduate from the Hollywood Film Institute, founded by Hollywood producer Dov S-S Simens. She has worked with SC ETV and American Idol Productions (Season 7), along with several independent film productions and shorts. Her company, label me. productions, was founded in 2007 and is currently in post production on the documentary for Sean's Last Wish and is also in post production for Midnight Cabaret, a pyschological feature film, starring Brandon Hilton (who personally knew Sean Kennedy). More information about the film Midnight Cabaret may be found on the film's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Midnightcabaret
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On October 28th 2009, President Barack Obama finally signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James E. Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act to expand the existing federal hate crime law to include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability and military personal and their families. The initial federal hate crime law was established in 1964 and included Race, Religion, Ethnicticity, and National Origin. After 45 years, this is now the first law in the history of the United States that is all inclusive and protects everybody against crime of violence and intimidation that are motivated by bias against actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability and military personal and their families.This law also provides education and financial support to any state that requires support to prosecute a hate crime.My husband Jim and I received a special invitation from the White House to be part of this historic event. It was an honor for us to represent the state of SC and the LGBT community.However, changing laws and having the federal law in place is only a deterrent, not the solution.It was an honor to be there with the Shepard family and the Byrd family and well as Damien Skipper (brother of Ryan Skipper), Gabi Clayton (mother of Bill Clayton) and others who have worked to tirelessly in the past years to make this day possible!
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Shepard Family with Jim & Elke in Washington, D.C

Elke on stage in Charleston, SC

Peace One Day - Charleston SC Sept 20th 2009This was the first year that this event took place in Charleston, and Elke and Jim with their educational Panel, attended this great event. This event took place at the beginning of the world wide Peace Week. Elke was a key note speaker.

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Charlotte Pride Festival - 2009On July 25th 2009, Sean's Last Wish participated at Charlotte, NC pride. This was their 3rd year particpating at this festival, and many old friends/young people who have met Elke previously, came running up to get their hug. People were amazed at the growth of our educational panel to 40 Ft long, even "protesters" of pride stooped to read the panel and got into some discussions with Elke and Jim. In the afternoon, Elke was one of the keynote speakers to talk about Sean and Sean's Last Wish, and how bullying, hatred, violence and religious beliefs/teachings lead to beatings, suicides or murder like in Sean's case. Elke has become the voice for those who don't have a voice, or someone who does no have a mom who stands up for him/her.Elke always looks forward to see her "adopted" children and adults, but it is always very emotional for Elke as well.
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News and Events 3

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HRC Clergy Call and Lobby DayOn May 4th and 5th 2009, Elke and Jim were invited by the Human Rights Campaign to participate in Clergy Call and Lobby day on the Hill. Elke had an opportunity to meet many different clergy from across the US and she got to meet Rev Stephen from Texas who wrote a very passionate Letter to deny parole for Stephen Moller. Elke got to thank him personally. Elke also had the honor to meet Bishop Gene Robinson.The next day, Elke and Jim had meetings with representative James Clyburn the major whip. HRC had made appointments with Lindsay rahm nd Jim Demint, however theywere not "available" to talk with us, instead we got to talk with their protegees. They also met the Congressman Bob Inglis, which Elke had meet before and who, just like all the rest of the SC Representatives and Senators, voted no to the Matthew Shepard Act without any good reasons.Overall, it was an amazing event with work shops and discussions. On the next day Elke and Jim got to represented SC on the Hill, since nobody else was there on Lobby day to represent our State.
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Sienna College/FagBug Documentary Premiere - April 2009Elke and Jim traveled to Albany, NY to attend the premiere of the documentary "Fagbug", produced by their "adopted" daughter, Erin Davies. While in Albany, Elke had the opportunity to speak to a group of students at Sienna College.

(right) Elke Kennedy with Erin Davies, the Fagbug and friends

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