Keeping dreams alive

"Kristi always wanted to be a nurse," said Dodger DeLeon, her father. "When she was a young teenager, I would drive her to Duluth Hospital every Saturday morning, where she worked as a candy striper. She really enjoyed helping the sick."

In 1997, Kristi DeLeon, then 25, was a student in the nursing program at Georgia Perimeter College when she was in an auto accident. She suffered severe brain, spinal cord and internal injuries and died six months later.

Her dreams to become a nurse live on through the Norcross Open Car Show, which raises money for the Kristi DeLeon Memorial scholarships, which go to students at nursing and medical schools in Georgia. Now in its 10th year, the scholarship fund has given out about $140,000 and helped 43 students in her honor.

DeLeon said that the idea came from lifelong friends in Norcross, where he grew up and still lives.

"In the 1950s we called ourselves 'The Old Depot Gang,' because we hung out at the depot. I've fooled around with old cars since I was 15," he said.

"Of course, then it wasn't about restoring vintage cars. We were just trying to get something to crank."

Retired from the vending machine business, DeLeon owns a 1932 Ford Sedan, a 1949 Mercury with a chopped top and a 1947 Studebaker.

The desire to help the DeLeon family with Kristi's extensive medical bills drove his friends to organize the first Norcross Open Car Show in 1997 in her honor.

"It made me feel so good to think that they thought enough of us to do that. I'll never forget it, which is why we decided to keep it going" after her death, DeLeon said.

DeLeon persuaded his buddies to make the car show an annual event, with the proceeds going to help young people who wanted medical careers. The Norcross Car Committee starts planning the May event in January, talking to local companies — especially car dealerships — that help sponsor the event.

Committee members plan the food for the event at Thrasher Park, coordinate the logistics with the city of Norcross and send application forms to area nursing and medical schools.

DeLeon's wife, Liz, a beautician, handles the paperwork, including the applications.

"We see cars, from the late 1920s to 2007 Corvettes and Mustangs, and motorcycles. Some come from 300 miles away," DeLeon said. "People really like this show because we have a lot of door prizes and raffles, food, a DJ, a bake sale, silent auction, and we give prizes for the cars. It's a great chance for old friends to get together and visit."

About 40 volunteers — plus members of the DeLeon family — pitch in on the day of the show.

"It's a lot of fun and has become a big family deal," he said.

This year's show was the largest; there were about 8,000 people and 242 cars, and it raised $21,000.

"We never tell people how large the scholarships will be, because we never know how much we'll make," Liz DeLeon said.

In May the committee granted $2,200 scholarships to nine students: Angela Hayes, Amanda Paniaqua, Tina Roberts and Carina Staneso of Emory University; Amelia Bonds and Heather Lucas of the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University; Christa Kendall of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's Georgia campus; Morgan Lancaster of the Medical College of Georgia in Savannah; and Amber Lee of Brenau University.

Although Liz DeLeon isn't Kristi's mother (she and Dodger married in 2004), she is heavily involved in the scholarship program.

"When we count the money, we divide it up among the recipients. Over the years, we have supported a few local worthy causes, but the bulk has gone to scholarships. It's very gratifying," Liz DeLeon said.

The committee hopes to raise $25,000 next year.

To qualify for scholarships, students must be Georgia residents, be enrolled in nursing or medical programs at Georgia institutions, and have financial need.

"We've heard back from a lot of recipients, who are grateful to have the money. Even when Kristi was going to college, 12 to 13 years ago, it was expensive," Dodger DeLeon said.

Scholarship recipients often volunteer to help with the show. "So far, we know that 15 young people have become nurses, and three [have become] doctors with the help of the scholarship. It makes you feel really good to do something like this. Kristi would have loved it," he said.

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

If you would like to receive an application form for a Kristi DeLeon Memorial scholarship, contact Dodger DeLeon at

770-448-2664 or dodgerdeleon@bellsouth.net.