Governor Christ, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Winter the Dolphin Enter Adoption Business

By Jeni Hatter

Clearwater, FL - Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) welcomed Florida Governor Charlie Crist and other dignitaries to kick off a new adoption campaign called “Winter’s Dream.” CMA is partnering with the Progress Energy Heart Gallery and Eckerd Community Alternatives to raise awareness of the need for children in foster care to be adopted and the need for Winter the dolphin to be adopted. CMA relies on public support for its work of marine life rescue. One of the ways to generate support is by allowing families to adopt its animals.

“Winter’s Dream” is that every foster child available for adoption finds his or her “forever family.” Winter lost her family, overcame physical challenges and found a new family with CMA. Many kids in Florida’s foster care system face similar challenges and are considered “special needs,” given their background, age or disability. These children have been separated from their birth families, live in foster care and now need adoptive homes. Each month, CMA will feature the faces and stories of local foster kids awaiting adoption on the Web site and at the Aquarium in a special exhibit. CMA will also donate 20 percent of the proceeds from Winter’s adoptions to the Heart Gallery. Visit www.SeeWinter.com for more information on this unique campaign.

At any given time, there are nearly 1,000 foster children in Florida. Governor Crist has made adoption one of his top priorities. In July 2007, the Governor signed a measure creating the Office of Adoption and Child Protection and appointed a Chief Child Advocate, to promote adoption and abuse prevention. The office developed and launched an adoption public awareness campaign called “Explore Adoptions.” Last year, Florida led the United States in adoptions with 3,776.

Winter lost her tail after getting caught in a crab trap line in December 2005. She had to figure out a way to swim without her natural tail and is now even learning how to swim with a prosthetic tail. Her amazing story is told in detail in Winter’s Tail, a book recently published by Scholastic. Warner Bros.-based Alcon Entertainment recently announced a major motion picture will be made about Winter’s life story. CMA is a working animal hospital dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine life.

To view Clearwater Marine Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-93-Clearwater_Marine_Aquarium