Couple Earns Distinction as ‘Angels’
In honor of their work with Guatemalan orphans, Bryan and Karen Perry will dine with Rep. Pete Sessions in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 5. The Park Cities residents are among the 2011 Angels in Adoption being recognized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.
Since 2004, Karen has made more than 30 trips to Guatemala with Buckner International and is affectionately known as “Mamita Karen.”
Read the full press release after the jump.
Rep. Pete Sessions Honors Buckner Donors and Advocates
Karen and Bryan Perry as Angels in Adoption™
Perrys to be recognized at national event in Washington, D.C.
DALLAS – Rep. Pete Sessions has selected Dallas residents Karen and Bryan Perry as 2011 Angels in Adoption awardees for their outstanding advocacy for orphans. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption™ program, will honor the Perrys, along with more than 150 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, D.C., October 5, 2011.
The Perrys were nominated by Buckner International for their devotion to the orphans of Guatemala. In the past seven years, Karen has made more than 30 trips to visit the children who call her ‘Mamita Karen,’ and the Perrys support has fueled Buckner’s growth to serve almost 14,000 children each year in that country.
“Orphans and vulnerable children have no greater advocate than the Perry Family,” said Albert Reyes, President of Buckner International. “The number of children Karen and Bryan have served cannot be counted. They not only impacted the lives of the many children they have served through their time and resources, but they have also uplifted countless families through their support of the adoption process.”
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 United States and abroad.
In addition to the more than 150 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. This year’s National Angels are Academy Award nominated actor and screenwriter Nia Vardalos, NFL Linebacker Scott Fujita, and the Emmy nominated television program Freddie Mac’s Wednesday’s Child. Former National Angels include First Lady Laura Bush, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Muhammad Ali, the late Dave Thomas, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bruce Willis, Alonzo Mourning, Rhea Perlman and Kristin Chenoweth.
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.
The Angels in Adoption™ program was established in 1999 as a Congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals. Since then, the program has developed into a yearlong public awareness campaign culminating in an extraordinary awards Gala and celebration in Washington, D.C.
