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From Home Furnishing Business

Jordan's Hosts Walk/Run for Adoption

May 19, 2014  by in Community / Charitable Support, Industry   

The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange and Jordan's Furniture are organized the 5th annual 5K to benefit MARE's work to recruit adoptive parents for children and teens in state foster care. More than 600 local children are currently growing up in temporary foster care while waiting for permanent, loving homes. MARE's programs to find adoptive families include Wednesday's Child on WBZ TV, children's profiles in newspapers statewide, the Heart Gallery portrait exhibit of waiting children, and Adoption Matching Parties. MARE has helped more than 6,000 children leave foster care for permanent families over the past 56 years.

In attendance were Jordan President and CEO Eliot Tatelman, NECN's Eileen Curran, and WCVB's Bob Halloran who welcomed guests and kicked off the Walk.

Now including a chip-timed 5-K Run, the Walk/Run for Adoption is a fun-filled celebration of adoptive families. The post-walk party included face painting, balloon twisting, a deejay, stilt-walker, caricature artists, sand art, beachball decorating and other crafts, J&B Photobooth, a visit from the New England Patriots' mascot, Pat Patriot, raffles, Dave & Buster's Prize Wheel, light lunch and refreshments.

Teams of adoptive families, friends, coworkers, students, and social workers are forming now. Participants can register online at www.MAREWalkRunForAdoption.org. Over 500 participated in last year's Walk, and raised $65,000 to help children join adoptive families.

Additional sponsors included Ernst & Young, WebsterOneSource, WickedLocal, Brookline Bank, Hannaford Supermarkets, Hint Water, the Knights of Pythias, and Kohl's Cares for Kids.

MARE is a private, non-profit organization, working since 1957 to find a "permanent place to call home" for youth in foster care. Because every child deserves a "forever family."