As the Wish Upon a Star Coordinator for the past two years, planning an event that serves more than 1,300 children in our care, 1,311 this year to be exact, is no small deed. It truly takes support from several departments within our agency and an astonishing community response to pull off a drive of this magnitude. This year, I can truly say, was one of our best yet. With 180 donors and more than 13 different volunteer groups, each individual contribution is the reason behind our success.

Eager to be a part of Wish Upon a Star, hundreds of emails and calls from individuals looking to help began pouring in by October. Many donors not only sponsored a child for the holidays but were also willing to stick around to help wrap presents, build bikes and even donate extra toys for the cases that we knew would open right before Christmas. In total, donors brought in $98,325 of in-kind donations and volunteered more than 165 hours over the course of three weeks. Check out page 3 for a complete list of these amazing donors!

My department created a beautiful, merry mess within several hallways and cubicles within our Gainesville office as well as at Northwest Baptist Church, as they were stuffed with wrapped presents and bikes waiting to be delivered by our transporters and caseworkers. Though many community members were willing to join in on the fun, several PSF employees also took time to help wrap, clean and rearrange our training rooms to create Santa’s workshop here in the office.

From my perspective, every hand, every dollar, every kind word fueled this drive. Not only for myself and for my department, but especially for the kids in our care. Several caseworkers came back to me with encouraging and thoughtful anecdotes from the children in our care singing the praises of the special donors who got them exactly what they asked for this year. From the depths of my heart, I am truly grateful for the ways in which all of you gave to this event and to this community. PSF is appreciative of every individual, group, business, organization and employee who donated their time and resources for the children in our care. As always, we could not have done it without all of you.

PARTNERSHIP

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Message from our CEO 2

WUAS Donor List 3

Partner Spotlight 4

Recruitment Update 4

The Amazing Give 5

Resource Center Update 6

Children’s Partnership Councils 7

Legislative Update 7

Superhero 5K 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PSF Headquarters

5950 NW 1st Place

Suite A

Gainesville, FL 32607

P: 352.244.1500

F: 352.244.1647

www.pfsf.org

OFFICE LOCATION

MAKING THE HOLIDAYS MERRYBy Aldreka Everett, Community Relations Assistant

Esteemed Community Partners and Friends,

Many exciting things have transpired at PSF in recent times and we are confident of what 2018 holds. Most recently, our staff, Partner Families, board and youth in care visited Tallahassee for the annual Children’s Day at the Capitol event. A variety of stakeholders joined our effort to advocate for the needs of children in care. We were able to meet with several Senators and Representatives about the important work of caring for children and youth and how their decisions on pending legislation could impact that work.

We have also been able to celebrate an increase in the number of licensed foster homes as well as steady adoption finalizations. During the last fiscal year, we joined 180 children with their forever families

and have already finalized another 90 since June 2017. Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated recruitment, licensing and adoptions staff, our capacity to provide the best possible care to local children is continually improving. That said, foster families are always needed in each of our 13 counties, and we appreciate your help in connecting with potential foster or adoptive families. We offer special thanks to our community partners who hosted holiday parties for all of our Partner Families, including the Williston Women’s Club, Fountain of Life Church, University City Church of Christ and Parkview Baptist Church.

In other news, our four new entities – Service Management Solutions for Children, Inc. (SMS), Real Estate Acquisitions for Children, LLC (REACH), Technology and Solutions for Children, LLC (TASC) and the Intercountry Adoptions Accreditation and Maintenance Entity, Inc. (IAAME) – are fully operational and have been appointed a board of directors who are current members of the PSF board. REACH has already begun purchasing real estate, and IAAME has entered into an agreement with the U.S. State Department to serve as an accrediting entity for intercountry adoption service providers.

Last, but certainly not least, we are proud to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Dr. DeAnna Beverly, Vice President of Operations at Haven Advanced Illness Care; Will Halvosa, DMC Coordinator of the Gainesville Police Department; and Linda Tatum, retired owner and treasurer of Tatum Timber and Land, Inc. Each of these new members brings with them a wealth of wisdom and insight, and we expect to continue to thrive under their and our entire board’s leadership.

Stephen PennypackerPresident/CEO

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

As we welcome in 2018, many of us are challenging ourselves to be, in some way, better than we were last year. You might be making that resolution to go to the gym more, eat healthier, immerse yourself in literature or just spend more time with family. Whatever direction 2018 is leading you, I wish you all the best in accomplishing the goals that currently

drive you.

The new year is bringing many changes for our department already. Michelle Giordano, who served our agency for several years, has received an excellent opportunity to work for a sister agency in Pensacola. While we will miss her (and her extraordinary graphic design skills that you may have seen in this newsletter!) we wish her all the best on this new journey.

This change brought about the opportunity to look at our department and how we could best function as a team to recruit quality foster homes, increase community engagement and support and build a stronger support network for our current homes. You can read more about how our department is evolving on page 4.

Over the next few months, we will be focused on the early legislative session. February will bring us Florida’s Foster Parent Appreciation Week once again, and in March we will get to participate in The Amazing Give, a community-wide nonprofit fundraising day. Last year, PSF raised more than $2,000 thanks to your support. This year, we are setting our sights on a $10,000 goal to support the kids in our care!

It is an honor to work with such a committed group of stakeholders, and I look forward to what 2018 will bring us all!

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND RECRUITMENT UPDATE

Stephen PennypackerPresident/CEO

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PSF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mr. Ed PeddieChair

Dr. Michael BowieChair Emeritus

Ms. Jo HaleyVice Chair

Dr. Thomas HawkinsTreasurer

Ms. Ester TibbsSecretary

Mr. Don Caldwell

Chief Tony Jones

Ms. Diana McPherson

Ms. Kitty McElhaney

Dr. Muthusami Kumaran

Mr. Donovan Arnold

Reverend Dan Johnson

Ms. Barbara Locke

Ms. Roberta Getzan

Dr. DeAnna Beverly

Mr. William Halvosa

Ms. Linda Tatum

Platinum (100+ stars)Greenhouse Church

Gold (50-100 stars) Florida Coast Guard – HITRON Malcom Randall VA Medical CenterSanta Fe College Upper Room Ministries

Silver (20-49 stars)Alachua County Sheriff ’s Office CROM CorporationDepartment of Emergency Medicine at theUniversity of Florida

Florida Public Relations Association - Gainesville Chapter

Gainesville High School Gainesville Seventh Day Adventist ChurchIgnite Life CenterJames Moore & Co.Kimball Wiles Elementary School Lemerand Athletic CenterNaylor Association Solutions Resolutions Health Alliance The Bartram UBS Financial Inc. UF College of Design Construction &Planning

UF College of Veterinarian Medicine Vineyard Church

Bronze and Individual Donors (1-19 stars)Abby FarmerAdam NelsonAdreuna HamiltonAisha Sanchez- Rivas Amanda BentleyAmanda ElliotAmeris BankAnita Zucker Center Anne & Scott Banks Austin & Sara King Austin ForbrickAyana Foreman Barbara & Ralph GiordanoBarbara & Robert Plasky Bernice McCoy Beverly WondersBobby & Ester Tibbs Bonnie GlotfletyBradley & Jennifer FergusonBrittany PeckBrook Journey Brownie Troop #2380CareerSource Carol Delany

Casey GaouetteCassandra BrownCatherine Marzolf Charity Provancal-Black Chip & Pamela Gonzales Congregation B’Nai Israel Cynthia Machupa Dada McGlynnDaniela Bursian Danielle BrehmDaVita Dialysis of Lake City Dex Imaging Diva McPhersonDon & Carol Shaw Donovan & Katie Arnold Dr. Deanna M. Beverly Dr. Linda Abeles & Dr. Peter Bensen Dr. Muthsami Kumaran Edward Peddie Emily Crawford Cuartero First Baptist Church of Jasper Francisco Garcia Francys & Mark MartinGay MurrayGina MurrayGirl Scout Junior TroopGlad Tidings Church Assembly Glenna & Alana CampbellGordon Green Grace at Fort Clarke United MethodistChurch

Greater True Vine Baptist Church Greg & Wendy Robbins Gwyn LitellHannah DantzlerHolly Beck Hometown Mortgage ServicesHope Kawaja Ian Bell Isaac Brown & Gang Jackie Tucker James StringfellowJanice Cartwright Jeffery Rizzo Jennifer & Michael DeaneJesse & Lesley HerseyJo Ann Haley Jordan LabbyJudy DaughertyJulianne Browning Julie & Chet SzydlowskiJustin & Kelly HarrisonKaitlin Spears Karen & Gary Gillette Karen Weinstein Kathryn McElhaney Kathy Wheeler Katie BlackburnKelly JamisonKelly MenaKim SloneKim ThompsonKimberly Mahoney Kristina McMican Lauren Belgrade Leah Cobb-Lee

Leslie HarrisLetitia McCraryLinda S. Tatum Lindsay HansonLisa Vickery Luisa Pena Lydia BradyLymaris & Shawn BargerMacey Johns Marcia Swope Marcia Wiesel-Leary Marisa Stuckey Maureen NadlerMcNeal Legal Meredith Gaitanis Michael & Christina GiordanoMichelle Belcher Mike & Stacey ProsiseNancy CaniffNatasha Restuccia Neurosurgical Specialist of North FloridaNiki Looney Norton Elementary SchoolOak Hall Middle SchoolOlga Garcia Pam & Tim O’FlynnPebbles & Robert Edelman Quincy & Tracy WestberryRachael O’DellRebecka Hutchins Robyn Lane Santa Fe Psychology ClubSarah ZeenbergScarlett Arencibia Shane & Kimberly Ruessler Shannon Cooper Sidney Downing Siva Srinivasan Scott & Rebeca Denahan Special Friends Care, Inc. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Stacey Starling Stephen Foster Elementary School Studio 32 Orthodontics Susan NorbergSuwannee River Chamber of CommerceTabatha HendricksTara HollowTara Thompson Tara Woodington Taylor Whitfield Tina Walker Tricia BraitschUDV of FloridaUF College of Education – Post AwardsUF College of Medicine – Finance andAdministration Department

UF Health Cancer Center UF School of Special Education, Schoolof Psychology & Early Childhood Studies

UF Self-Insurance Program University of Florida Department of Surgery Vivian RiosVlad & Jenifer Petrescu William HalvosaWilson Brothers

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Special thanks to our donors!

Legislative Session 2018January 9 - March 9, 2018Legislative Session comes early this year, so be sure to stay updated with us on important legislation that could impact our local system of care.

Foster Family Appreciation WeekFebruary 5 - 9, 2018Join PSF in thanking our amazing Partner Families who open their hearts and homes to the children in our care. Check out our social media pages for updates!

Amazing Give 2018March 21 - 22, 2018The Amazing Give is a community-wide giving day that occurs over the period of 24 hours. Consider advocating for our agency and for the children and families we serve!

Child Abuse Prevention Month April 2018PSF will celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month by giving out informational and safety materials at our Resource Centers and throughout the community. Follow along on social media!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: FAITH COMMUNITY CELEBRATES PARTNER FAMILIESBy Patty Carroll, Director of Community Relations and Recruitment

While our agency was busy supporting our youth and caregivers through the Wish Upon a Star holiday toy drive, our often unsung partners were making sure that each of our Partner Families were recognized and celebrated during the holidays with three holiday banquets throughout our two circuits.

Each year, the University City Church of Christ in Gainesville, Fountain of Life Church in Williston and the Parkview Baptist Church in Lake City put on amazing events for our Partner Families, oftentimes inviting all of PSF staff and community members to come and join in on the festivities. The events treat our Partner Families to delicious food,

holiday music and treats and, most of all, special memories to share with their entire family. Several families were even able to attend more than one party this year.

Additionally, children who attend these events receive gifts (sometimes even from Santa himself!) to go home with. Many of these partners are also supporters of Wish Upon a Star and other events throughout the year, going well above and beyond any of our agency’s requests.

At the Gainesville party, guests were also treated to an appearance by a horse from Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses and got to meet the current Gator Basketball team. Attendees lined up in mass to receive an autographed poster and meet some of their favorite players.

We would like to thank all of these amazing partners and volunteers who make the Partner Family Holiday Banquets happen every year. Your support helps us, as an agency and a community, thank our Partner Families and ensure that the youth in their care are treated to a very special event during the holidays.

RECRUITMENT UPDATE: REDEFINING ROLESBy Hannah Green, Outreach Recruitment Specialist

As we enter 2018, Community Relations and Recruitment is excited to announce that we are redefining roles and improving recruitment strategies. This year, we have major goals to increase the number of prospective foster and adoptive homes and spread the word throughout the community.

After much conversation and analysis, it was decided that the agency would be best served by redistributing the duties of our two recruitment positions. Previously, one position had been dedicated to recruiting and screening prospective adoptive parents and one responsible for recruiting and screening prospective foster parents. The positions have now been divided to one Outreach Recruitment Specialist, who will have the main responsibility of recruiting both foster and adoptive families and one Recruitment Specialist, who will be responsible for beginning the screening/inquiry process with all families, regardless of which track they are considering.

This shift in responsibilities will lead to a clearer workflow between positions, a more focused approach to each individual’s job without having to shift back and forth between roles and a better overall experience for prospective families.

The community is the backbone of our agency. Please reach out to us if you want your business, church, school, family, friends, etc. to learn more. We value our foster and adoptive families, volunteers and all the advocates who care for our local children. We need and want to work with you. If you ever want a guest speaker, you can contact us at 352-318-7604 or at Hannah.Green@pfsf.org.

2018 is going to be a great year of more children being placed in safe and loving homes thanks to you, our community!

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THE AMAZING GIVE 2018By Samantha Tracy, Senior Community Relations Professional

For the third year in a row, Partnership for Strong Families is participating in the Amazing Give online giving day in Alachua County on March 21-22, 2018. The annual event, sponsored by the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, is an opportunity for us to engage the public at-large and really bring the community into community-based care.

As a participant, we will be promoting the needs of our children and youth to raise funds for their physical and emotional needs, which many people outside the system of care may take for granted. Clothes that fit, field trips,

supplies for school and extra-curricular activities are all part of the normal childhood experience, but for kids in foster care or other out-of-home placements, these needs can sometimes go unmet or take longer to be fulfilled. With contributions during the Amazing Give, we can take immediate action to help our children.

Why is “Normalcy” Important?Normalcy is a term we use to describe activities and tangible items which contribute to a “normal” life. Children and teens in the dependency system have all experienced some sort of trauma and high levels of stress. A large part of how we—and you—can help reduce the harmful effects of that adversity is to contribute to them attaining normalcy. In the same way an adult may want to get a massage or go out for a nice meal at the end of a hard week, children under stress need outlets to relax, de-stress and feel safe and comfortable wherever they are.

With funds raised during the Amazing Give, we can purchase clothes for children who come into care with nothing but what they’re wearing at the time. We can help their caregivers pay for things like sports and arts programs, class trips and private tutors. The funding we receive from the State can only go so far. That’s where the community steps in and says, “They’re my children, too.” That is the heart of community-based care.

How Can I Help?Last year, PSF received more than $2,000 in donations from staff, board members and people just like you. This year, our goal is $10,000, and we believe we can reach it! Because the Amazing Give only lasts 24 hours, we need your help to reach as many people as possible and share the needs of our kids. It may seem like a lot, but if you skip just one cup of coffee a week leading up to the event, you can give $35 without any extra money actually leaving your wallet. Skipping a couple meals out during March could mean a $40-$60 donation. Maybe all you can spare is $10—that’s helpful too. With the event happening in late March you could even set aside a portion of your tax return for this.

Since the Amazing Give is an online event, there are processing fees involved with each donation. We encourage you to select the option to cover the processing and bank fees. It’s usually only a couple dollars extra, but the more people who do that, the more money goes straight to helping our kids.

But it’s not just money we need. We need voices, connections, people who can share our message and get the word out about the Amazing Give and why PSF and our children are the right group to donate to. We need people to share our posts on social media, start fundraising profiles on our Amazing Give page and encourage their friends, family and coworkers to elevate their communities by helping local children. How can you do this? Visit www.theamazinggive.org and search for “Partnership,” then click “Fundraise” and enter your name and email to become a fundraiser. Share your fundraising profile through e-mail or social media so that your friends can see this is an important cause to you. Also, if you don’t yet follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, be sure to like and follow our pages to stay up to date on the Amazing Give and other great things we’re doing in the community. Start sharing our posts so your friends can see why the work we do is so important and why it’s close to your heart.

The Bottom LineThe bottom line is, our kids don’t just need social workers and agencies, they need you. They need you in big ways like fostering - and little ways like donating to the Amazing Give. So mark your calendars for March 21 at 6:00 p.m. through March 22 at 6:00 p.m. We’ll also be hosting a kick-off event at local treasure The Flying Biscuit that Wednesday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. RSVP to join the fun or reach out with any questions by calling 352-244-1626 or emailing Samantha.Tracy@pfsf.org.

RESOURCE CENTERS WELCOME IN 2018, CELEBRATE 2017 SUCCESSBy Stacy Merritt, Director of Resource Centers

During this previous year, the Resource Center team took time to celebrate successes, learn from past challenges and refocus on why we do the work we do. As a result, 2017 brought about a number of exciting opportunities to learn and grow, while also sharing with others about our prevention model for possible replication in their own communities.

In 2017, PSF’s four Resource Center locations (Library Partnership, SWAG Family Resource Center, Cone Park Library Resource Center, and Tri-County Community Resource Center) had more than 33,000 visitors and provided nearly 44,000 services to individuals and families in need. Of these services, 55% were related to Concrete Supports, 20% to Social Connections, 12% to Knowledge of Parenting & Children Development, 9% Family Functioning & Resiliency and the remaining 4% to Nurturing & Attachment. These protective factors, when present in caregivers, have been shown to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect; a fact that has also been supported by local data.

For example, based upon recent data comparing the year the Library Partnership opened its doors (fiscal year 2008 - 2009) and the most recent fiscal year (2016 - 2017) Alachua County showed a 62% overall decrease in counts of verified child maltreatment. It should be noted that in the five zip codes served by the Resource Centers, there was an increased reduction of 67%, compared with a 59% reduction in areas not served by the Resource Centers. While we recognize that reductions in child maltreatment are impacted by many factors, including focused efforts by PSF, DCF and other community partners, this data also clearly demonstrates the impact of the prevention work being provided through our Resource Center locations.

Some additional highlights of the past year include the release of Casey Family Program’s (CFP) chronicle report, “Strong families and safe children: How community resource centers are helping children in Gainesville.” This chronicle, released in January 2017, highlights our Resource Center Model from its planning stages through the opening of our fourth location in 2015. Following the success of the chronicle, CFP also selected PSF as one of two Communities of Hope sites to be featured in their 2017 Signature Report, “The Evolution of Hope” along with an accompanying video, Building a Community of Hope

in Gainesville, FL. These publications not only allow us to share more effectively on a local level, but have also provided national attention for PSF’s proven prevention efforts.

With the ultimate goal of promoting replication of our model on a state and national level, PSF representatives continue to present about our work on a frequent basis. In 2017, this included presentations at the CWLA National Conference in Washington, D.C., the DCF Dependency Summit and the Florida Faith Symposium in Orlando, along with participation in the Protective Factors and Protective Capacities session of the Child Welfare Virtual Expo presented by the Capacity Building Center for States and the Children’s Bureau.

As part of CFP’s national peer learning initiative, this year PSF has also hosted a number of organizations from communities within Florida (e.g., Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Prevent Child Abuse Florida), along with representatives from other states including Georgia and Wisconsin. Additionally, after hearing about the successful prevention work being done by PSF, Commissioner Jerry Milner of the Administration for Children and Families in Washington, D.C. also requested to come visit two of our locations and learn more about the work being done here in Gainesville and the Chiefland area.

Recognizing the significance of faith based partners in prevention work, in April 2017, PSF (with the financial support of CFP) was able to host Reverend Doctor Darrell Armstrong, who shared about his journey from foster care to pastoral care. The event brought together faith leaders from around the community to discuss not only prevention efforts, but also foster and adoptive family recruitment - a message that our agency welcomed as we look to increase both our prevention partnerships and our recruitment reach throughout Gainesville and beyond. We hope this event was only the first of many in our efforts to further engage and recognize our faith-based partners.

While 2017 may be hard to top, we are looking forward to what 2018 will bring for PSF’s Resource Centers and the local communities we serve! To learn more about the Resource Centers please visit www.pfsf.org/resource-centers.

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PSF’s Children’s Partnership Councils (CPCs) are halfway through their fiscal year and seeing high utilization of funds and services. Each of the five Councils has been hard at work meeting the evolving needs of local families and children to keep communities across North Central Florida strong and thriving.

Individual assistance has been a primary concern for several Councils, including the Baker, Bradford, Union CPC, the Columbia CPC and the Madison-Taylor CPC. Combined, these and the remaining two Councils have allocated $8,100 toward this resource and spent close to $3,700 of those dollars. These funds are an avenue to help families experiencing a sudden crisis by assisting with needs such as utilities, rent and other concrete supports critical to child well-being. Since last August, 25 caregivers across six counties have received aid. With rare exceptions, we have not seen repeat requests from families during the past three years, which lends credence to the effectiveness of this program and its ability to flexibly meet community needs.

The Councils have also expanded their offerings toward infant and toddler safety by allocating $525 to purchase either car seats or car seat vouchers depending on the area. A total of 26 caregivers have accessed these opportunities and received training on proper vehicle safety for their children. The Columbia County CPC also recently chose to partner with the Health Department’s new “Baby Box” program promoting safe infant sleep and health by purchasing supplemental items to add to the boxes.

Clothing for youth in need has also become a growing need. The Suwannee, Lafayette, Hamilton Council has always prioritized this allocation, specifically for students identified as homeless or migrant. This allows children experiencing transitions in living situations to have this basic need met. The Baker, Bradford, Union Council, seeing a similar need arise within its school districts, also allocated funds to provide winter clothing for students without access to warm clothes.

The Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy Council has also seen great success with its GED voucher program this year. We reported in our last newsletter that they purchased 62 individual section vouchers (the entire test is broken up into four subjects), costing $1,984. Of those, 35 have been distributed to 15 students and four have attained their GED as a result. Others are still in the process of obtaining theirs. This Council also had a surprise donation from a member that was matched by her employer, allowing original funds to go beyond their initial reach.

Each Council is looking forward to Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. They have all allocated funds to purchase child safety items for families in need to be distributed at events in rural communities where access to such supports is scarcer. The Councils will again be providing things like cabinet locks, outlet plugs, swaddling sacks and water wings as well as newer items like potty-training seats to help reduce parental stress during that stage of child development. We can’t wait to report on their successes in this and other areas in our next newsletter!

CHILDREN’S PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL UPDATEBy Samantha Tracy, Senior Community Relations Professional

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As session began early this year, we have been busy staying updated and tracking important pieces of legislation that could potentially impact our system of care. Our partners at the Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) have also been diligently working to communicate legislative changes and updates with community-based care agencies across the state so that we can bring a unified message to our local legislators.

On January 23, we once again traveled to Tallahassee to participate in the annual Children’s Day event. Joined by staff, Partner Families, board members and youth in our care, we were able to meet with six of our representatives to discuss our legislative priorities this year. On the top of our list is House Bill 817, which shows congress that Florida is in support of continuing the Title IV-E waiver that grants us the flexibility to provide innovative and critical prevention resources. We also spoke about the allocation model that the FCC and Department of Children and Families have mutually agreed upon to more equitably distribute dollars amongst all of Florida’s community-based care agencies.

We would like to thank all of the legislators and aides who took time out of their robust schedules to meet with our group, and we would also like to thank all of those participants who helped to push our advocacy efforts forward once again!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND CHILDREN’S DAY 2018By Patty Carroll, Director of Community Relations and Recruitment

Learn more about how

our innovative services are keeping our community’s children safe.

Visit us at www.pfsf.org

PSF SUPERHERO 5K By Samantha Tracy, Senior Community Relations Professional

PSF Headquarters5950 NW 1st Place

Suite AGainesville, FL 32607

352.244.1500

For the third year in a row, PSF hosted its Superhero 5k during National Adoption Month, recognized annually in November. Registrations for and donations to the event combined to raise more than $4,500 for recruitment efforts that will directly benefit children awaiting adoption. At any given time, 40-50 local children are in need of a loving, forever family. Many of these youth are teens and several are part of sibling groups who hope to be adopted together.

To support them, more than 245 participants ran or walked around Westside Park in Gainesville and enjoyed bagels and fruit following the race. Participants also had fun taking pictures with superhero statues generously provided by our long-time partner and supporter Phalanx Defense Systems and owner James Coates, sitting on motorcycles with Bikers Against Child Abuse, playing games at vendor tables, enjoying a show from Mike the Magician and even getting their faces painted. Tabling vendors included Gainesville Foster-Adoptive Parent Association (FAPA), Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), the University of Florida’s Child Protection Team (CPT) and the Foster Closet Alachua.

PSF is grateful for all of the vendors and donors who helped make the event possible and such a hit with participants. Special thanks to donors including Sunshine Health, Farm Bureau Insurance, Village Counseling Center, Revival Mobile Massage, Superheroes for Hope, Our Town Realty Group, Dada and the Sunshine Team, UF Mover Guys, the Law Office of Mary K. Wimsett, Funworks Skate Station and BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse. We are also incredibly thankful to WaterBear Photography who provided free photography during the event.