[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1671-E1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE CONGRESSIONAL COALITION ON ADOPTION INSTITUTE'S 
   “ANGELS IN ADOPTION” PROGRAM AND THE HALLMARK CHANNEL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 2002

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, last night the Congressional Coalition on 
Adoption institute celebrated the fourth annual “Angels in 
Adoption” program. It was a remarkable celebration of the many 
heroes throughout the nation who have advanced the cause of adoption.
  I had the great privilege to present to Lana Corbi, President and CEO 
of the Hallmark Channel, one of the 2002 National Angel Awards to 
recognize the Hallmark Channel's outstanding contributions to promote 
adoption through their television programming.
  There are many who made the “Angels in Adoption” event 
such a tremendous success, among whom I would like to commend my 
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Co-Chairs, Senator Larry Craig and 
Senator Mary Landrieu for their leadership and advocacy. I would also 
like to thank Maxine Baker and the Freddie Mac Foundation, and Paul 
Singer and the Target Corporation for their generous sponsorship of the 
“Angels in Adoption” celebration.
  I want to add a special word of thanks to Kerry Hasenbalg, the 
Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption 
Institute, and her marvelous and dedicated staff (Wendy Cosby, Lynnette 
Cole, Katie Richardson, Jenni Byrd, and summer interns Kaitlin McNew 
and Emily Bonhoff) who gave so tirelessly of their time and talent to 
make this event such a success. I also wish to thank Chip Gardiner of 
my staff, Brooke Roberts of Senator Craig's staff and Kathleen 
Strottman of Senator Landrieu's staff for their significant 
contributions to adoption advocacy.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to enter in the Record my 
remarks from last evening's “Angels in Adoption” program.

 Representative Oberstar's Presentation of the 2002 National Angel in 
                 Adoption Award to the Hallmark Channel

       Tonight, we celebrate the men, women and children who have 
     made profound contributions to adoption in their communities. 
     Each Angel in Adoption has been deeply moved by this life-
     changing and life-affirming experience. For the Members of 
     the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, tonight is our 
     opportunity to recognize their story, their experience. We 
     are a better nation, and the lives of countless children and 
     families have been touched in a powerful manner through 
     adoption.
       I have seen many families in my congressional district in 
     Minnesota that have been touched by adoption, and I am 
     delighted to recognize one of my constituents, Linda Forde 
     from Deerwood, Minnesota for sharing her personal experience 
     with adoption with me. Ms. Forde is an adoptive parent of two 
     wonderful children who were born in Vietnam. Because of her 
     concern regarding the treatment of U.S. families seeking to 
     adopt from Vietnam, she contacted me to voice her support for 
     these families. Through her advocacy, Ms. Forde has 
     demonstrated that motivated citizens can make a difference to 
     promote adoption. It is for this reason that I am pleased to 
     recognize Ms. Forde for her dedication to orphans who seek 
     their forever families.

[[Page E1672]]

       Adoption changes lives—it changes families, 
     neighborhoods, and communities. Adoption has also changed 
     attitudes and beliefs. Through the advocacy and dedication of 
     adoptive families and professionals, adoption has changed our 
     nation and our world. My colleagues and I have seen adoption 
     officials of other nations, upon experiencing the joy of the 
     young children whom their government and people have allowed 
     to be adopted by U.S. families, spontaneously make unexpected 
     proclamations to expand their nation's adoption programs. I 
     have heard powerful testimony of children in our foster care 
     system describe their heart-moving desire for a forever 
     family. As an adoptive parent, I also know the thrill and 
     excitement of receiving “The Call” that told us 
     that our son Ted would soon be with us.
       The Nobel Prize Chilean poet, Gabriella Mistral wrote: 
     “We are guilty of many errors and faults, but our worst 
     crime is abandoning children, neglecting the fountain of 
     life. Many things we need can wait; the child cannot. To the 
     child, we cannot answer: ‘Tomorrow’. The child's 
     name is ‘Today!’&thnsp” Those words have 
     particular meaning for the more than 117,000 children in 
     foster care who are available for adoption, and to whom we 
     must say: “TODAY”.
       Until recently, the wonderful adoption experiences that we 
     celebrate this evening were unreal and intangible to those 
     unfamiliar with adoption. The Hallmark Channel travels into 
     the households of 45 million subscribers around the globe. 
     Thanks to Hallmark, families in the United States and 
     throughout the world now have the opportunity to see the real 
     stories of adoptive families.
       In June of this year, the Hallmark Channel initiated their 
     first original series entitled “Adoption” which 
     is a non-scripted, reality program, that captures the journey 
     and real life experience of birth parents, adopted children 
     and adoptive parents. I want to commend and congratulate the 
     Hallmark Channel for your leadership and vision to bring 
     these great stories to life.
       With the premiere of “Adoption,” Hallmark 
     Channel has dedicated the network's inaugural national 
     corporate outreach initiative to supporting and creating 
     grassroots programs dedicated to positively impacting 
     awareness of adoption in the U.S. By providing the tools that 
     enable viewers to make a difference in their communities, 
     Hallmark Channel hopes to dispel the myths surrounding 
     adoption, and shed a positive light on the process. The 
     Adoption initiative encompasses several elements that can be 
     tailored to a variety of needs, including: turnkey 
     promotions, public service announcements, educational tools, 
     and programming elements to allow select markets to reach out 
     and highlight relevant adoption stories in their community. 
     This fall, as part of their corporate initiative, Hallmark 
     will unveil a special ornament that celebrates adoption. They 
     have generously included in each of your gift bags coupons 
     that may be redeemed by mail for one of these ornaments.
       At this time, I would like to direct your attention to the 
     video monitors to see a short excerpt of the Hallmark 
     Channel's programming from their wonderful 
     “Adoption” series.
       We are delighted to have Lana Corbi, President and CEO of 
     Hallmark Channel, with us this evening to accept the 2002 
     National Angel in Adoption Award for the Hallmark Channel. 
     Lana is a remarkable woman who has recently been named one of 
     the “50 Most Powerful Black Executives in 
     America” by Fortune Magazine. The Congressional 
     Coalition on Adoption Institute is very pleased to present 
     this award to Lana Corbi in recognition of the Hallmark 
     Channel's outstanding contributions to raise adoption 
     awareness through leadership in television programming.

     

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