EVERYONE IS INVITED!

Dinner, Dance and Silent Auction

6:30 pm, Saturday, Nov. 3^rd

^{Featuring Live Band "Cousin Smitty"}

Eddleman Farm

3457 Wildcat Creek Blvd

Fayetteville, AR 72704

(off 412 in Tontitown)

Auction Items Are Not Limited to: Air Hockey and Foosball Tables, Wii and XBox 360 games, Angry Birds Stuff, Baby Receiving Baskets, Restaraunt Gift Cards, Theater and Symphony Tickets, Overnight Stay in Eureka Springs

Tickets are $25 ($7 ages 6-13) and Can Be Purchased and Donations Made using the chip-in link at the top of the blog, to the right.

 It’s been a year since our family embarked on the greatest adventure of our lives – all inspired by the picture of a special needs little girl who needed a family. Meet Polina – a 5-year-old sweet & sassy little girl with Spina Bifida who has spent her entire life in hospitals and orphanages.

                                                                                                                         

Beautiful, isn’t she! She’s excited to be out of her wheelchair and get to play on the playground. You see, Polina lives in a place called “The Home For Invalids” over two hours outside of Moscow where the caregiver-to-child ratio is way to high and the kids who are not ambulatory aren’t taken out of their wheelchair to play on the playground. Her best fun is seeing how fast she can get her wheelchair to go on the 20-ft. strip of pavement. When we went to meet her in September, we got quite the workout lifting her up the slide, teeter tottering, and pushing the swing and merry-go-round she is on here. And let me tell you, this girl LOVES the sandbox, but she doesn’t get to play there either – too dirty. L

                                                                    

We get asked all the time, “Why Russia?” Initially, it was just because we fell in love with Polina’s picture and that is where she is. But since visiting, we have grown a heart for Russian adoption. In 2010, the chairwoman of the parliamentary committee on family and children, Yelena B. Mizulina, spotlighted what she said was a shocking statistic: Russia had 700,000 orphans, more than at the end of World War II, when an estimated 25 million Soviet citizens were killed.

Russians don’t have the infrastructure to care for or provide opportunity to those with special needs. And Russians don’t typically adopt their own children. 62% of adoptions in Russia are by Americans. 22% are from Spain and Italy. (adoptionknowhow.com) Without foreign adoption, these children have little hope of every having a forever family.

International adoption is expensive. Russia happens to be one of the most expensive countries to adopt from because three trips are required and in-country stay is very expensive. Our estimated costs are $45,000.

                                                                                                                                                           

As you can imagine, the American economy has slowed these children finding a forever family. There has been a steady decline in American inter-country adoptions since 2004 when 22,991 children entered into a forever family. Last year, that number was only 9,319. Specifically, in Arkansas, the number has dropped from 128 to 56. (Beaureau of Consular Affairs, US Dept. of State) That’s more than a 50% decline!

We can’t change the world, but we can change the world for one orphan at a time. The purpose of this letter is not only awareness, but to ask you to help us change Polina’s world.

                                                                                                                                                  

We are asking businesses to help with a tax-deductible table sponsorship of $100 or more or and in-kind donation of an auction/raffle item, food, drinks or coupons to your business. We plan to serve Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes, and Soup. We will have a hot-drink bar with Coffee, Cider, Hot Chocolate and Tea and will have a live-auction for desserts.

Thank you for considering supporting us and bringing Polina home. May you be blessed!

Jason, Kendra and Carter Skaggs

jandkskaggsfamily@yahoo.com