Nominees For Angels In Adoption Announced

 

 

Sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
Washington, DC
Congratulations to the 2007 Angels in Adoption™

The ninth annual Angels in Adoption™ gala will take place the evening of Thursday, October 4, 2007, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C

NATIONAL ANGELS IN ADOPTION™

Patti LaBelle
Award Winning Artist

Alonzo Mourning
Miami Heat/Founder of Alonzo Mourning Charities, Inc.

Marcus Samuelsson
Critically Acclaimed Chef and Author
 
MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Barbara Harrison
Anchor, NBC4

 
Angels in Adoption™ Program
The Angels in Adoption™ Program, CCAI’s signature public awareness program, provides an opportunity to all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans. This program includes an annual event in Washington, D.C., the Angels in Adoption™ gala, which is geared toward highlighting ordinary people doing extraordinary things. These “unsung heroes” are selected by members of the U.S. Congress.

In addition to these “unsung heroes” chosen from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, “National Angels” are recognized for their adoption and foster care advocacy on a broader, nationwide scale. Former “National Angels” include notables such as First Lady Laura Bush, Victoria Rowell, Muhammad Ali, Dave Thomas, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Bruce Willis.  Last year, more than 190 Members of Congress participated, making it the year’s single most significant Congressional event pertaining to child welfare in the United States.


Rep. Tom Allen Nominates Mainers for an Angel in Adoption Award
Wednesday September 05, 2007
<http://tomallen.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=716&ParentID=4&SectionID=15&SectionTree=4,15&lnk=b&ItemID=697>

The nominations “recognize the power of working together on a common, worthy goal”

Portland, Maine (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)—U.S. Representative Tom Allen announced today that he has nominated for an Angel in Adoption Award ten Mainers who played key roles in the successful effort to enact a Maine adoption law providing adoptee access to birth identity.

“These Maine State legislators and private citizens worked together and individually to enact LD 1084, a law that will allow adult Maine adoptees to obtain their original birth certificate without the need to petition probate court,” said Rep. Allen.  “This legislation will replace current law, which veiled the adoption process in secrecy by requiring that birth certificates issued to adoptive parents indicate that the child they were adopting had been born to them, and by requiring that adoptees’ original birth certificates be sealed and unavailable to inspection without a court order.”

The nominees are Bobbi Beavers (South Berwick), Cathy Robishaw (Falmouth), Peter Jensen (South Portland), Joan and Sandy Beal (Portland), Sally Groupp (South Portland) Martha and Neil Hulbert (Woolwich), State Senator Paula Benoit (also nominated by U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe) and State Rep. David Farrington.

“Many other Mainers contributed significantly to this effort,” Rep. Allen said.  “The nominees’ contributions, however, stand out as particularly meriting recognition.  By honoring this group, the award will recognize the power of working together on a common, worthy goal.”

Most of the nominees have been participants in an adoption, and their personal experiences provided them with unmatched understanding of and commitment to the issues adoption raises.  Senator Benoit, Cathy Robishaw and Sally Groupp are adult adoptees; Bobbi Beavers, Martha Hulbert and Peter Jensen are birth parents; Sandy and Joan Beal are adoptive parents.

The Angels in Adoption Award is sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, which each year invites Members of Congress to recognize constituents for their efforts relating to adoption issues in their home states.