From the Idaho Steelheads web site:



While their teammates rested before a home game with the Long Beach Ice Dogs,
Idaho Steelheads hockey players Dan Shermerhorn and Shawn Wansborough took to
the ice at the Bank of America Center in Boise recently to mentor two boys,
15-year-old Ryan and seven year-old Tyrell.

Outfitted in full goalie gear and instructed by the players, Ryan
successfully blocked several shots taken by the players in the Steelheads
locker room, giving him self-assurance he can use in other situations in his
life. Tyrell was offered an exhilarating ride on the Zamboni, a machine used
to resurface the ice, as it prepared the rink for Wednesday night's game.
Although he was nervous about talking on camera, his anxiety melted away as
he waved to everyone from his special seat on it. Tyrell enjoyed his ride so
much during the day, he took the opportunity to ride on the Zamboni during
the first intermission of the game.

The boys and the players were starring in a videotaped segment of the
Wednesday's Child program, produced by KTVB-Channel 7 News Anchor Dee Sarton.
Both boys live in foster homes and are awaiting permanent adoptive families.

These collaborative community efforts pay big dividends for waiting children.
Wednesday's Child now appears in four Idaho newspaper columns and on two
television stations. As of November, more than 100 children have been
introduced through the Boise Wednesday's Child program. More than 60 have
found adoptive placements, and many more are nearing placement decisions by
adoption committees.

Wednesday's Child is a nationally successful adoption recruitment program for
children who meet one or more of the following circumstances: 1. The age of
some children make it more difficult to find an adoptive family (usually age
four or older). 2. Siblings who want to stay together. 3. Children who have a
physical, mental, emotional or medical disability or who are at risk of a
disability because of family history. Adoption of special needs children in
Idaho increased 128 percent in Idaho in 1999, the biggest percent increase in
the nation.

Locally, Wednesday’s Child is a televised news segment coordinated by the
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which links prospective adoptive
families with waiting children in foster care. For most of its participants,
Wednesday's Child represents a second chance to find the safety, love and
support missing in their lives. Who can be an adoptive parent and how much
does it cost? All kinds of people make great adoptive parents: a first-time
parent, empty-nesters, married couples and singles. Special needs adoptions
(which in Idaho increased 128 percent in 1999, the biggest increase in the
nation) also are affordable for every family. State assistance may include
some or all of the following: adoption subsidy, payment for medical, dental
and other services, travel assistance and adoption service payments

For more information about adoption, how to get started with a home study, or
to view waiting children, visit the Wednesday's Child web site at
www.idahochild.org To inquire about adoption or the Wednesday's Child
program, call the Idaho CareLine at 1-800-926-2588.