Press Release - August, 2007

South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint has nominated Patrick and Marchie Thornton of Mount Pleasant for their outstanding advocacy of adoption. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption program, will honor the Thorntons, along with more than 180 other Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, October 4, 2007.

The Thorntons adopted their daughter Anna Vera from Russia with the help of Alliance for Children (SC), Inc. in Mount Pleasant. It took lots of paperwork, meetings with social workers, approval from the Citizenship and Immigration Services, and two trips to Russia to bring this bright and personable toddler home to Mount Pleasant on July 9, 2005. She joined a family that already included a then-six year old brother, Aaron, who had long been waiting for a sister. There was also a large community of loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and fellow church members who were ready to welcome her home.

Since Anna Vera’s arrival, the Thorntons have been enthusiastic advocates for adoption. Visiting Anna Vera’s orphanage in Moscow, Russia, made them realize how many children wait for homes, not only in Russia and other countries overseas but also in the United States. Patrick, who was adopted as an infant in Texas, and Marchie began talking to other families interested in adoption to give information, encouragement and support. They were frequent speakers at information meetings sponsored by the Alliance for Children. Patrick arranged opportunities for the Alliance for Children’s director, Anna Johnson, to speak at civic organizations and to speak with him about adoption at local high schools. Marchie serves on the Advisory Board of the Alliance for Children. They are cheerleaders for adoption, and their efforts will result in many more children finding loving, permanent families in the Lowcountry.

Two years later, Anna Vera is a beautiful, affectionate three-year old with amazing language skills and an inquisitive, outgoing personality. Her brother Aaron, a rising local tennis star and a student at Palmetto Christian Academy, has done a very good job of sharing his parents with Anna Vera. Marchie is a full-time mom, and Patrick is a Dealer Area Manager with PPG Architectural Finishes.

The Angels in Adoption program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for 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 in the U.S. and abroad.

“Our goal is to raise awareness of the millions of orphans and foster children in the United States and abroad who are in need of permanent, safe, loving homes, and we congratulate Patrick and Marchie Thornton for their role in helping us to achieve this goal,” said Deanna Carlson Stacy, CCAI’s executive director. “Thanks to Senator DeMint, the Thorntons will receive the recognition they deserve for their tireless efforts in the mission of helping these children realize their basic right to a family”.

The Alliance for Children continues to seek South Carolina families who can open their hearts and their homes to children in need. Founded over 30 years ago, the Alliance knows the difference that adoption makes in the life of a child –and the joy that it brings to families. The Alliance currently has adoption programs in Russia and Eastern Europe, in South and Central America, and in Asia.

In addition to adoption, the Alliance Foundation, established in 2000, is an international relief organization dedicated to improving the physical and emotional well being of children living in institutions in those areas of the world. The Foundation’s projects in medical care, basic needs, and education seek to heal, strengthen, and empower the world’s most vulnerable children, especially those who are less likely to be adopted due to age or special needs. Its programs provide these children with an otherwise unattainable opportunity for a better future.

To learn more about the Alliance for Children, the Alliance Foundation, and the children who need you, South Carolina families can contact Anna Johnson in Mount Pleasant at 843-849-9700 or visit the agency’s website at www.allforchildren.org.