6th Annual 'A Home For The Holidays |
Written by Robert ID596 |
Monday, 20 December 2004 12:42 |
Actor, musician and comedian JamieFoxx ("Collateral," "Ray"), who was adopted, hosts and performs on the sixth annual A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, a new entertainment special to be broadcast Wednesday, Dec. 22 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Rod Stewart, hip hop’s Black Eyed Peas, Ashlee Simpson, Train, Kenny G., Chaka Khan and Jamie Foxx perform and Jamie Lee Curtis, Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo and Bruce Willis present inspirational stories about adoption.
Following the success of the past five annual shows, this year's special continues to tell moving stories about adoption to raise awareness of this important social issue. The inspirational stories of these American families are enhanced by performances from some of today's most popular performers. Rod Stewart performs "What A Wonderful World" from his album Stardust ... The Great American Songbook: Volume III, in addition to a special duet with Jamie Foxx; Black Eyed Peas perform "Let's Get It Started" and "Where is The Love?" from their album Elephunk; Ashlee Simpson performs her smash hit "Pieces of Me" from her album Autobiography; Train performs "Calling All Angels" from their album Alive at Last; Kenny G. and the legendary Chaka Khan perform the duet "Beautiful" from Kenny's album At Last ... The Duets Album and Jamie Foxx performs "Heaven," an original song that he wrote.
Several pre-taped story segments are presented by celebrities who either have had their own adoption experiences or are involved with children's issues. The stories highlight many exceptional American children and families involved in this rewarding process. -- The Wilkins Family: Valinda Wilkins, a hospital research coordinator, knew that she wanted to have children some day. Although she initially had concerns about raising a child on her own, she decided to inquire about adoption. In 1997, she attended an adoption festival where she met 3-year-old Ravin, who had lived in foster homes since birth. After Ravin turned six, Valinda decided to adopt again. She thought she would adopt a single child until she saw Vyctoria and Angelina. Placed in foster care as toddlers, the future for 7-year- old Vyctoria and her 6-year-old sister Angelina grew more uncertain. "I felt drawn to Vyctoria and Angelina because their eyes reflected such loneliness," said Valinda. When the girls'' adoption was finalized in 2000, Valinda knew they would never have to feel alone again. -- The Zito Family: Dave and Brenda Zito were married in 1994 and had their first daughter, Chloe, two years later. On her third birthday, Chloe told her parents that she wished for a "sister to love like you love me." The couple had been trying to get pregnant again, without success. After learning how many foster children need a permanent loving home, the Zitos decided to adopt. In 2000, Chloe's Christmas wish came true when the Zitos adopted 4-year-old Mary and her 3-year- old sister, Erica. "I knew beyond a doubt that we had done the right thing," said Brenda. Today, Chloe, Mary and Erica are as close as can be. -- The Marris Family: Five-year-old Kassandra was separated from her younger brothers, Albert and Anthony, as they were shuffled through foster care for several years. In 2001, she was reunited with her brothers in a new foster home, but their journey was not over. In December 2003, Kassandra and her brothers appeared on the fifth annual "A Home for the Holidays" special, and married couple Thomas and Virginia Marris were watching. The couple immediately left a message for their social worker. In January 2004, Virginia and Thomas received the good news that they were to be the proud parents of Kassandra, Albert and Anthony. "Our house is full of such wonderful laughter, such amazing love," says Virginia. -- Children Waiting: There are more than one half million children currently in foster care in the United States. This segment brings the numbers to life by creating an intimate portrait of children who need permanent loving families. The special is presented in association with The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Children's Action Network. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was established in 1992 by Wendy's restaurant founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted. It is dedicated to increasing the awareness of the more than 150,000 children in North America's foster care system who have been freed for adoption. Wendy's Restaurants is a program sponsor.
The Children's Action Network was founded in 1990 by leaders in the entertainment industry to harness the power of the entertainment media on behalf of children. The special is a part of CAN's National Adoption Campaign to raise awareness of the joys of adopting and to find homes for the children who are waiting. A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is produced by Triage Entertainment and Goldsmith Entertainment, in association with the Children's Action Network and the Dave Thomas Foundation. Karen Mack, Stu Schreiberg, Stephen Kroopnick and Marilyn Seabury are the executive producers; Kimberly Steer is the supervising producer. Michael Simon directed the special, which was written by Eugene Pack. |