National Council For Adoption Welcomes Hoda Kotb, Greg Louganis, Kitty Carruthers, and DeMarcus Ware to Nationals Park to Celebrate Adoption
April 14, 2022 — Alexandria, VA — On Friday, April 29, National Council For Adoption (NCFA) will welcome Today Show host Hoda Kotb, Olympians Greg Louganis and Kitty Carruthers, and Super Bowl Champion DeMarcus Ware to Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park for Safe at Home: A Ball at Nationals Park, as NCFA celebrates over 40 years of service to adopted children and adoptive families.
Originally planned for Spring of 2020 to mark NCFA’s 40th anniversary, Safe at Home: A Ball at Nationals Park will honor and celebrate the contributions of individuals and organizations in the adoption community, as well as support NCFA’s work to increase pathways to adoption, provide affirming support for birth parents, build capacity among adoption agencies in their service to children and families, help more families begin their own adoption journeys, and provide robust post-adoption support.
NCFA’s special guests for Safe at Home: A Ball at Nationals Park represent many different types of adoption journeys and personal connections to adoption. Attendees will hear personal stories about the impact adoption has had on the lives of NCFA’s special guests, as well as celebrate our award honorees, all against the backdrop of Nationals Park.
The featured guest speaker for the evening is Hoda Kotb. Known for her role as co-host of the Today Show, Kotb is the mother of two daughters through adoption. During the event, she will be presented with NCFA’s Friend of Adoption Award, highlighting her compelling public advocacy for adoption.
Joining Kotb will be Olympic Gold Medalist and NCFA’s 1990 Adoption Hall of Fame awardee Greg Louganis. Adopted as an infant, Louganis represents and advocates from the unique perspective of adult adoptees.
Alongside Louganis will be fellow Olympian Kitty Carruthers Conrad, an adult adoptee whose journey brought her to the Olympic stage and then on to adopt children of her own. She has also been recognized by NCFA for her impact in the field of adoption with her 1991 induction into the Adoption Hall of Fame.
Finally, NCFA will also be honoring DeMarcus Ware with their Friend of Adoption Award. Mr. Ware is former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos linebacker and defensive end and a Super Bowl champion. During his NFL career, he became a father through adoption, and has enthusiastically championed adoption over the past decade
Also receiving awards during the program are longtime NCFA leaders and strategic partners. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Charles E. “Chuck” Johnson will be inducted into the Adoption Hall of Fame, Stacey and Kevin Reynolds will receive the Friend of Adoption Award, and Wayne and Linda Sharp will receive the Ruby Lee Piester Adoption Award.
Following the program, attendees will enjoy all that Nationals Park has to offer, from speed pitching, batting practice, and stadium tours to a gourmet taste of the ballpark.
The presenting Home Plate sponsor of this event is NCFA partner The Opt Institute. Also making this event possible are the Coach’s Box sponsors, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Greg and Jane Castanias, Stacey and Kevin Reynolds, SLCG Economic Consulting, and Wayne and Linda Sharp. More than forty additional sponsors are participating in this event. Sponsorship packages and individual tickets are still available.
If you are interested in attending or learning more about Safe at Home: A Ball at Nationals Park, please contact Megan Ritter Judt, Director of Development, at mjudt@adoptioncouncil.org or (703) 299-6633.
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Media Contact:
Megan Ritter Judt
Direct: (703) 299-6633
Cell: (410) 259-9273
MJudt@adoptioncouncil.org
