Taste of Spring - Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute will have its 4th Annual Food and Wine Benefit known as "Taste of Spring" May 14 in New York City. (Source: Adam Pertman).

The 2008 Honorees are Board President Sandra Kresch, Tony award-winning Broadway Star Christine Ebersole, and her husband, musician and composer Bill Moloney.

"We are especially excited that this year, all event costs are being underwritten by our 'Angels' and past Honorary Co-Chairs Jurate Karzickas and Roger Altman, and Jane and Bill Donaldson," the Institute's newsletter stated.

For more information, contact External Relations Director Laura James at ljames@adoptioninstitute.org.

Friends of the Institute held house parties to support the work of the agency, among them actor Scott Lowell who featured one on Feb. 22 at his home in Los Angeles, CA.

Virginia, an adoptive grandmother living in Texas, is close to her adopted grandson.

"The blessing of adoption is him," she says. "I hope that gives the birth mom the feeling of being blessed for her choice. I cannot tell her how thankful I am for her decision, but in telling other birth moms I feel I am able to convey in some way the miracle of adoption. He is a wonderful gift, most precious."

In unrelated adoption news, the Transition to Adoptive Parenthood project is asking for help with a study aimed at exploring same-sex couples' transition to adoptive parenthood.

For information, contact Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D. at 508-793-7289 or agoldberg@clarku.edu.

In unrelated news, Comedian George Lopez will perform at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas.

For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com. (Source: Fort Worth Weekly).

In other non-profit news, Buttons of Hope has partnered with the Polly Klaas Foundation. Buttons makes photo buttons or "walking billboards" that can keep a missing child's picture before the eyes of anyone on the street or at the market. (Source: Polly Klaas Foundation).

"Often people see the photo buttons and ask the wearer about the child," said a press release from the Foundation. "We are grateful that Buttons of Hope has joined in the work to find missing children."

In addition to donating buttons to the family of a missing child, Buttons donates directly to the Foundation when additional buttons are purchased by friends and family, the release stated.

In unrelated event news, former Dallasite Frank Mastronuzzi has started a new matchmaking website for gay and lesbians who are looking for commitment in their relationships. For more information, access OneGoodLove.com online. (Source: Dallas Voice).