Ken Tutterow of Guilford County, NC chosen as 2009 Angel in Adoption

U.S. Senator Hagan selected Tutterow for his outstanding advocacy of adoption and foster care issues

September 17, 2009

GUILFORD COUNTY NC NEWS -- Kay Hagan, U.S. Senator North Carolina, has selected Ken Tutterow as a "2009 Angel in Adoption" for his outstanding advocacy of adoption and foster care issues. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption program, will honor Ken Tutterow, along with more than 190 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, September 30, 2009.

Ken Tutterow is being honored for nearly 30 years of service to children in need of families through his work with Children's Home Society of North Carolina (CHS). Starting as a foster parent in 1980, Ken Tutterow then served on the CHS board of trustees for several years before joining the staff as President and CEO in 1990.

The Angels in Adoption program is CCAI's signature public awareness campaign that 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 children in foster care and orphans in the United States and abroad.

In 1999, the Angels in Adoption program was as a Congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals. Since then, the program has developed into a year long public awareness campaign culminating in an extraordinary award Gala and celebration in Washington, D.C. However, CCAI was formally created in 2001 by the active co-chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) to more effectively raise Congressional and public awareness about the issue of adoption.

Executive director of CCAI, Kathleen Strottman said:

"The Angels in Adoption program is unlike any other program in the Nation's Capitol. Because of it, over 1400 'Angels' have come to share with Washington their adoption experience and left with a renewed excitement of all that adoption makes possible. I learned one simple lesson from my time on the hill, knowledge is power. Angels in Adoption is meant to give Members of Congress the knowledge they need to use the power they have toward making the dream of a family a reality for every child."

In addition to the more than 190 local angels from around the country, several National Angels will also be recognized at the ceremony and gala for their dedication and commitment nationally and internationally to child welfare on a grand scale. Former "National Angels" include:

• Former First Lady Laura Bush
• Patti LaBelle
• Jane Seymour
• Muhammad Ali
• the late Dave Thomas
• Steven Curtis Chapman
• Bruce Willis
• Alonzo Mourning
• Marcus Samuelsson

Finally, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes through adoption. CCAI's goal is the elimination of the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family. CCAI does not receive any government funding and they rely on the generous support of foundations, corporations, and individuals to accomplish their mission.