Apex Adoption

www.apexadoption.com

Building A Legacy One Burger And Adoption At A Time
by Kristyn Drysdale
http://www.atlcadoption.com

What was the appeal of Dave Thomas in his own Wendy's
commercials? Was it his angelic-looking face or his
untarnished reputation that made Thomas so appealing to his
us as we watched him broadcast into our homes? Thomas built
his career climbing the ladders of success for years as a
business member of Colonel Sanders and the formerly known
Kentucky Fried Chicken. Eventually, he ventured into his
own restaurant called Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
Restaurant. Thomas' entrepreneurial style shown through his
management approach and he quickly turned a simple hamburger
restaurant into an exceedingly well-known franchise.

Did Dave have some personal touch that spoke to his loyal
employees and the general public? Many think his honest
approach to business and his personal affairs help him
openly discuss his childhood experience with adoption. In
time, many saw Dave as a self-appointed representative about
this stigmatized matter. Former President Bush in 1990 saw
Dave's impact on the public's perception of this issue and
asked Dave to be the official spokesperson of a nationalized
program, "Adoption Works For Everyone". Well, former
President Bush's selection was the right one - nearly
150,000 foster children benefited from this incentive and
were adopted. Dave felt he could do some more good by
starting his own program called The Dave Thomas Foundation
For Adoption. The purpose of this program was simple -
heighten awareness about adoption and formulate working
adoption programs. The main idea of this foundation is to
see "every child have a permanent home and a loving family".
>From this vision, the foundation concentrates on lifting
the world's awareness about children in foster care and
inspire those who care to adopt. Wendy's still remains
focused on the Foundations' goals and aspirations.

Thomas took the hands-on approach to seeing his Foundation
get off the ground during the starting phase. He went out
to campaign to the public, federal legislation and corporate
policies about issues concerning children in foster care and
the pitfalls of the adoption system. Thomas' main objective
was to see families with adopted children receive financial
provisions, similar to the benefits that biological parents
and their children can eligibly collect. His efforts were
not in vein - in 1993, grants were given to Thomas'
foundation and the American Council on Adoptive Children was
also given a grant to pair 200 foster care children with
parents seeking to adopt.

The inspiration that Dave Thomas started while he was living
continues to benefit Wendy's and the Foundation's joint
effort to help spur adoptions. Together, Wendy's and Dave's
Foundation have raised around $20 million and watched local
adoptions gain momentum. One of these generous donations is
the result of the Foundation's sponsored programs about
adoption on the Hallmark Channel. Thanks to these programs,
Hallmark Cards felt inspired to design and market Christmas
ornaments in the concern of motivating adoption. Another
successful way that the Foundation has brought in donations
is through its yearly Wendy's Three-Tour Golf Challenge.
This fundraiser builds about $2 million annually.

An undeniable link exists between Wendy's Restaurant and the
drive to improve adoption. Wendy's workers and franchises
feel this force and are dedicated to incorporate this cause
in their marketing efforts. Thanks to Dave's open and
insightful way of life, there is no denying how magically
non-profit programs and entrepreneurial thinking can inspire
great good.

Since Dave Thomas' passing on January 8, 2002, he has been
dubbed "The Patron Saint of Adoption" and his foundation
fruitfully carries on his legacy.

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