“My name is Michel Yates. I’m the son of Jim and Linda Yates. I share that because, before I knew I belonged to them, I was claimed by them.

There are kids in this state right now who have not been claimed and do not have a sense of belonging to anybody. We rode for that purpose, to celebrate those that did finally get a sense of belonging and who were claimed, to honor those families that feel called to claim those children as theirs, and to support those families after they’ve responded to that amazing miracle.

Somewhere between this magical moment of claiming and belonging is where we dedicate our future rides. It’s finding those opportunities for those kids and for those families. It has been an incredible honor to have been associated with such fine people.”

- Michael Yates, 2006 Homecoming Celebration, Knoxville World’s Fair Park

The Adoption Tour: Four Years in the Making

It was 2004, and Michael Yates and Jim Norwood were discussing two of their common passions – supporting adoption and long-distance bicycling. They had just returned from a successful long-distance ride, and were imagining the possibility of bicycling clear across the state of Tennessee. As they talked, they realized the challenges of bicycling seemed to reflect the challenges of finding homes for hundreds of children.

Pam Wolf, founder of Harmony, happened by the conversation and enthusiastically became involved. The rest is history, as the Adoption Tour grows by leaps and bounds each year.

“It’s all about celebrating the journey, and the fact that people who work with these kids are people who are passionate about them.” Wolf explains. “They’re willing to train thousands of miles. What that means to our families is that we’re committed to being with them, to walking this journey with them. To people who are considering adoption, we’re able to tell them that adopting is a wonderful option. There is support through the services of programs like Adoption Support and Preservation. I thought that it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Adoption Support and Preservation

In 2004, Harmony in Maryville, AGAPE Child and Family Services in Memphis, and Catholic Charities of Tennessee in Nashville were awarded the Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) project by Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services. Together, they support adoptive families and children as they create and maintain important connections with each other and with helpful service agencies.

“When a Tennessee family joins the community of adoptive families, they can find hope, understanding, acceptance, encouragement and real help,” Yates says, noting that more than 1,000 people have already accessed the services.

Motivated by the needs of families and children in all stages of the adoptive process, ASAP offers services like crisis intervention, support groups, counseling, mentors and individualized care.

Adoption Tour 2005

A small team assembled, and in October 2005, five people made the commitment to pedal 433.7 miles from Memphis to Knoxville. It took five days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. The team was met by local bicyclists in Maryville and a small ceremony included elected representatives and local media.

The purpose of the event was and is three-fold: 1) to build awareness of the need for adoptive families, 2) to celebrate the families that have adopted children, and 3) to dedicate the services of ASAP to families who choose to adopt children in state custody.

More than 300 children in the state of Tennessee currently have an immediate need for an adoptive home. Most of these children are teenagers with a strong desire to have a place to call home as they approach their young adult years.

Adoption Tour 2006

From its beginning, the Adoption Tour was created to help tell their stories. In 2006, the tour grew to include 17 riders who traveled across the state and hundreds more who traveled portions of it. In addition, two additional “legs” of the tour were added to extend the message, from Cleveland to Knoxville and from Kingsport to Knoxville. The tour convened in Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park, with hundreds in attendance.

The Adoption Tour is a complex, logistically challenging event, and it takes hundreds of volunteers and staff members to pull it off. Much of the support comes from Harmony Adoptions, Adoption Support and Preservation, and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Sponsors help make the celebrations possible. Sponsors of Adoption Tour 2006 included Harmony Adoptions, Catholic Charities, AGAPE, Camelot Care Centers, Omni Visions, Holston Home for Children, London & Amburn P.C., Wilson Bank & Trust, Youth Villages, Cedar Bluff Cycles and Parker Business Consulting & Accounting P.C.

Public awareness about the need for adoptive families was improved via more than three hours of positive TV coverage related to the event, along with more than 2,800 hits on the Adoption Tour website and 2,400 hits on ASAP’s website during October. In addition, ten print publications and 1.5 hours of radio coverage helped to get the word out. As a result, calls to the ASAP resource center increased 47% in October.

Adoption Tour 2007

The theme for the 2007 Adoption Tour was “Fifty for Fifty,” and 50 riders crossed the state representing 50 adoptions in conjunction with the tour. Seven celebrations were scheduled during the week of Oct. 8 – 12, with a homecoming celebration that began with adoption finalizations on the World’s Fair Park lawn, prior to a 3:00 p.m. kick-off of a party to celebrate adoptive families. The riders are arrived precisely at 5:00 p.m., followed by a community-wide celebration.

This year was special in that each rider presented a bicycle to the child in whose honor they rode. Along with the bicycle the child was presented a tour bear and a certificate from the rider. 50 for 50 was a smashing success that gained much popularity throughout the state and at the local celebrations.

In 2007 an astounding number of sponsors stepped forward to provide support for the state-wide adoption awareness event. Those sponsors included; the Tennessee Department of Child Services, Harmony Adoptions, Youth Villages, Agape, Health-Connect America, OMNI Visions, Centerstone, Partnership, Helen Ross McNabb Center, Catholic Charities, Threds, Parker Business Consulting, London and Amburn, Mahoney’s Outfitters, and Cedar Bluff Cycles.
Public awareness was again improved with many newcomers accompanying our now regular audience.

Adoption Tour 2008

The theme for 2008 is “A Journey Home”. More than 50 riders will be riding across the state to bring light to the children in every stage of their “Journey Home” to a forever family. Pleas join us at any of our celebration locations across the state to support the children in the State of Tennessee who have finalized their adoption, are in foster care, or searching for a permanent place to call home.

For more information about the children who are available for adoption, please call 1-877-DCS-KIDS. For more information about services available to adoptive parents, please call 1-888-848-2727 or visit www.tnasap.org. To explore the possibility of sponsoring portions of Adoption Tour 2008, call Jesse O’Hatnick at 865-982-5225