Heidi Wittenborn; ACRC Member and Adoption Fest Project Lead
Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club is thrilled to share the heartwarming success of Adoption Fest, which took place on September 30. This event brought together foster children and potential adoptive parents as the first step in forming forever families. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who volunteered, donated funds, or contributed items to make this event a reality.
At the heart of the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club is a commitment to serving our community, particularly the most vulnerable members of it. We believe that every child deserves a loving and permanent home.
Our event provided foster children and potential adoptive parents an opportunity to meet in a relaxed and fun-filled environment. We believe that creating a sense of community and connection is crucial in the adoption process. Adoption Fest was designed to do just that.
Adoption Fest was a tremendous success! A local church provided the location and facilities needed for the event. Foster children and prospective adoptive parents had the chance to interact, bond, and share memorable moments throughout the day while playing carnival games and enjoying lunch together. Austin Cosmopolitan provided the games and a prize store where the children spent the Rotary Bucks they won in the games.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible support we received from our community. We want to express our deepest gratitude to:
- Child Protective Services (CPS) for supporting this event by inviting foster children and prospective adoptive parents to participate.
- Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Park for opening their buildings and lovely grounds to us as the location for the event.
- Our volunteers whose dedication and enthusiasm ensured the event ran smoothly.
- Our donors for their generous financial contributions which helped us to cover event expenses.
- Our contributors for their donations of prizes to stock the prize store to overflowing.
- Our fellow Rotary Clubs for providing financial support and volunteers, both of which helped make our 2023 Adoption Fest a great success.
All of you have made a significant difference in the lives of foster children and adoptive families in our community, and we look forward to continuing this important work together.
We are already planning next year’s event. If you missed Adoption Fest this year; but are interested in getting involved in next year’s event, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
