Adoptive Families Celebrated at Annual Picnic

Pictured are: (front row seated) LSIPs Jamie Faidley and Alayssa Sarnovsky; (back row) LSIPs Marguerite DiBucci, Kim Rupp, Nancy Bevan; RTA Amanda Cortazzo; LSIPs Kaitlyn Quaglieri and Erin Veith; LSIC Juliann Botten. (LSIP Valerie Duddy was not able to attend but did provide valuable support in the planning of the event.

By Juliann Botten, SWAN LSI Coordinator

An annual tradition of the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau (WCCB) is the Adoption Celebration Picnic at Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, PA. Each year, the past 12-months’ adoptees and their adoptive families are invited to attend the picnic lunch and spend the day at the park. With Covid-19 concerns looming large in 2020 and 2021, this year it was good to be back in-person!

Planned, organized and hosted by the SWAN LSI paralegal staff of the WCCB, the picnic was held on August 18, 2022, which turned out to be a beautiful, sunny, blue-skied day. Seven adoptive families (of 15 adopted children!), staff from the WCCB, CASA of Westmoreland staff and volunteers, and WCCB’s SWAN RTA came out to enjoy the food, treat bags, gifts and fun at the park.

Tickets for Children's Charities donated the park tickets; Westmoreland Children First (the WCCB Advisory Board) donated funds for food, Superhero-themed decorations and gift bags; and Blue Knights PA Chapter 1 – Westmoreland donated bookbags full of back-to-school supplies for each child. Thank you, everyone!