It is three months into the year and you have started your exercise program or increased it for a healthier you. The calendar is out and you’re planning which races and events you would like to participate in.

Many races not only give you the opportunity to be part of a fun and exciting event, but without even realizing it, you are giving to the community in which you live. The 6th annual Race for the Roses is one of those events.

Race for the Roses, a collaborative event between Albertina Kerr Centers and The Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon, raises funds to pay for critical services to vulnerable children and to increase community awareness about child abuse prevention.

Albertina Kerr Centers, celebrating 97 years of service to Oregon, continues to invest in achieving better lives for those they serve: at-risk children and youth, families in need, and people with developmental disabilities.

The Boys and Girls Aid Society helps children make smart choices and protects those whose choices have been taken away from them. The Society works to break the cycles of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and delinquency so prevalent in the lives of many young people.

Funds raised through Race for the Roses supports many programs. One of the services is the Kerr Early Intervention Program (KEIP), which is operated by Albertina Kerr Centers. KEIP is a one-of-a-kind program in the metropolitan area that provides intensive outpatient services for these children whose mental health needs put them at risk for disruption in home and school. The program also offers family counseling and work assistance for mothers to help families create home stability and avert further crisis.

Since 1885, thousands of children have found safe, loving, permanent homes through adoption at the Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon. Here is a heartwarming story of how the society touches lives:

In January 2003, a 24-year-old birthmother, Susan*, contacted us. She had placed her oldest son, Timmy*, with a family in 1994 through the Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon. Susan stated that she was currently pregnant with a baby boy due in June 2003, and wanted to place him for adoption. After the birth of Timmy, Susan had three more children, one of who was being raised by family members in Nevada, and the other two whom she was struggling to parent. In addition, Susan disclosed that she was still struggling with drug addiction but stated an intention to remain clean. She asked that we contact the family who had adopted Timmy to see if they were interested in adopting this baby.

We contacted the family with the news, disclosing to them Susan’s substance abuse issues and her desire to have them adopt this baby. Interestingly, after adopting Timmy, they were able to conceive three children.This family was immediately excited about the possibility of providing a home for Susan’s unborn baby. They knew that Timmy desired a sibling who was related to him through birth, and never thought the opportunity would arise. The family researched methamphetamine exposure and decided to move forward with an adoption plan. We arranged a meeting between Susan and her children and the family. The meeting went well and Susan thanked the family for their willingness to adopt this baby. The family has one income, on a tight budget, and did not plan on having the expense associated with a second infant adoption. Understanding the importance of maintaining sibling relationships, funds from Race for the Roses were used to supplement the family’s adoption fee.

The baby was born in June 2003 and tested positive for drugs. He and the family are doing well, and Timmy loves having a “blood brother.” The family has an open adoption agreement with Susan so that visits can occur and information can be shared based on the agreement of the birthmother and adoptive family.

Remember that the next time you participate in a walk/run benefiting a charity you will not only be helping yourself, but you will be helping a child like “Timmy” as well as many other children who could not help themselves.

For information, sponsorship, or to volunteer for Race for the Roses contact Carol Hardwick at the Boys & Girls Aid Society 503-542-2305 or www.race4theroses.org.

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality