The donors: Bruce Sellery and Dennis Garnhum
The gift: Raising $120,000 and climbing
The cause: Adoption Options
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When Bruce Sellery and his husband, Dennis Garnhum, decided to adopt a child a few years ago, they didn't know where to start. Eventually they found out about Adoptions Options, a Calgary-based agency that works with expectant parents and prospective adoptive parents, including same-sex couples, through an open process that keeps all sides fully informed.
The couple adopted Abby, who is now five years old and has a close relationship with her mother, Katie, whom she sees every three months. "Katie is part of our family," said Mr. Sellery, a business journalist who divides his time between Calgary and Toronto, and runs a personal finance training business called Moolala.
Mr. Sellery and Mr. Garnhum, artistic director of Theatre Calgary, were so impressed with the agency, they launched an annual fundraising event at the theatre called "Spread the Love." So far, they have raised about $120,000, and the upcoming production, on Jan. 25, 2015, will be their sixth event.
Along with raising money for Adoption Options, Mr. Sellery said the objective is to increase awareness about the open adoption. "It is so profoundly moving to see what it takes for a birth parent to make a choice to have their child raised by someone else," he said. The event "is a real celebration of family in all of its forms."
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