A group of Santa Clarita residents recently came together to help a local Special Olympics athlete and her grandmother with repairs throughout their home.

Karen is a 25-year-old Special Olympics athlete who has known Gerry McCorkle, a former Sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, for five years.

“I was a Sgt. at Pitchess Detention Center where I helped orchestrate ‘Tip-a-Cop,’ and I met her through that,” McCorkle said.

Tip-a-Cop fundraisers are put on by the Sheriff’s to raise money for the Special Olympics.

“I even coached her in gymnastics for two years,” added McCorkle.

In December 2018, McCorkle went over to Karen’s house, where she lives with her grandmother Lynne, and saw some things that needed to be repaired. It was then that she gave her old partner, Steve Patterson, a call.

“I asked him if he could look at a couple things around the house,” McCorkle said. “He went over and saw what needed to be done. He did a few repairs and then he reached out to a deputy on a crew we both worked on.”

That deputy was Chris Pratcher, who still works at Pitchess.

“Chris reached out to all of his buddies and they all jumped in,” Patterson said. “We all met there Saturday in the pouring rain and went to work.”

In total, seven men came out to help Karen and her grandmother, getting rid of an old, homemade pool in the backyard. After the work was done, Karen came out and gave all of the volunteers her medals she had earned in the Special Olympics.

“It was very touching,” Patterson said. “That’s her way of paying back people who help her and her family. The guys were very touched.”

According to both McCorkle and Patterson, there is still a lot of work to be done on Karen’s home.

“These guys that helped are all gung-ho to go back, but none of us are experts on the things that need to get done,” Patterson said.

Among the things that still need repairs are the garage door, the roofing on the patio, and the paint on the outside of the house, according to Patterson.

Lynne requested aid from a local senior center, but was told she would be on a waitlist until at least April, according to McCorkle.

“They’re limited financially, and even the resources available may not be enough,” McCorkle said. “This family never asks for anything. She’s never in line for handouts.”

The group is looking for anyone who may be able to help them with the necessary repairs.

“If there’s anybody out there that works in those fields and can help mitigate or fix these issues, it would be amazing,” Patterson said.

Anyone who would like to help is encouraged to email Steve Patterson at [email protected].

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