Tennessee first lady Andrea ConteNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee first lady Andrea Conte is being honored with the National Crime Victim Service Award.
Gov. Phil Bredesen and Conte traveled to Washington to accept the award Friday evening.
Attorney General Michael Mukasey was scheduled to present the award to Conte as a prelude to National Crime Victims' Rights Week that begins on Sunday.
Conte was kidnapped in Nashville in 1988 by a man twice her size who forced her into his car. She managed to escape out the back door but suffered several injuries including a broken cheekbone and hand.
Conte founded a nonprofit organization called You Have the Power in 1993 to raise awareness about crime and justice issues.
She also established an annual event to honor Tennesseans killed by violent crime and has raised money to fight sexual abuse of children.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
