Lynx Present MARN With $2,000 Grant

Mark Remme
Lynx Editor/Writer
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For more than 30 years, the Minnesota Adoption Resource Network has been the states only organization solely dedicated to finding families for Minnesotas children. On Wednesday at Target Center, the Minnesota Lynx organization honored them for their efforts in trying to find a permanent home for deserving children in need.

Lynx Director of Business Operations Carley Knox presented MARN Training Coordinator Anne Johnson and IT Consultant Jolie Ritchie with a $2,000 grant check that will be used toward bringing awareness toward adoption and recruiting families. Johnson and Ritchie accepted the check at center court during the second quarter while receiving an ovation from announced crowd of 16,404the largest crowd in franchise history.

This has been a thrilling opportunity for us at Minnesota Adoption Resource Network, not only is it bringing awareness for adoption but we're hoping to find families for the 600 plus foster care kids waiting in Minnesota that are still looking for permanent homes, Johnson said.

The Lynx and Timberwolves have a longstanding relationship with MARN, not only through attempting to spread word about their cause but also working hand-in-hand to provide lifelong memories for the children within the program. That includes their annual Holiday Shopping for Kids event, which for the past eight years has facilitated a shopping spree for about 10 MARN children at Target. Last year, each child received $1,000 to spend while being teamed up with a Timberwolves player.

MARN will also be back at Target Center for a Public Service Announcement on Aug. 18 against the New York Liberty.

Ritchie said this particular $2,000 grant will be used toward creating a three-minute movie featuring approximately six kids and their families that have been adopted in Minnesota through the MARN program.

Hopefully well get word out there just to show how the whole process is works and the end results with these families, Ritchie said.

Johnson said currently in Minnesota there are between 400 and 600 foster care kids awaiting adoption in Minnesota. She said sometimes there are misconceptions about the process and how families can adopt, including the cost.

Adoption is free if you adopt from the state, and people are also under the misconception that maybe the older youth arent looking for homes, and thats not the truth, Johnson said. Theres plenty of older youth, teens, boys, girls, from all different ethnicities, races, walks of life that are looking for a place to call home.

Johnson said she and the rest of the MARN organization are grateful to have the opportunity to receive a grant and spread their message through the Lynx organization.

The relationship has blossomedits been great, Johnson said. They are great to work with, easy to work with. Its kind of thrilling and exciting, because we have never done anything like this before and weve never received this much publicity. Were entering in a new territory, but its fabulous for us.

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