Saturday the Junior League of Tampa partnered with the Camelot Community Care agency to host their annual adoption event.
This year was a little different.
The agency said there has been so many calls to adopt children that they have had to open a separate call center just to respond to the requests.
Employees said since 15-year-old Davion Navar Henry Only’s emotional plea in a St. Petersburg church to get someone to adopt him, more people are looking to adopt him and other children.
“We’ve been getting calls from out of the country even about Davion,"said Camelot Community Cares rep, Freddie Brinson. "But it's brought the opportunity to say, there’s only one Davion but there’s multiple children throughout the country and 105 scheduled to be at this event today alone.”
It’s a good problem to have, especially for children like Melissa and Fyheem who haven’t given up hope after nine years in foster care.
“I don’t want to be separated from my brother because he’s the only family I have left," said 17-year-old Melissa. "When we were separated it wasn’t a really good feeling, so I would like to stay with my brother.”
The children participated in different activities to see how they bond with their potential parents.
19-year-old twins, Krystal and Callie were just in their shoes three years ago before they were adopted at a similar event.
“She changed my life," said Callie. "I never thought I would have a good mother like her and I never gave up because when I was young I thought, you know what, I’m going to get adopted. I’m not giving up.”
Saturday they came back with their adopted mother hoping to add someone else to their family. It’s something 50 other families were hoping to do too.
Representatives from the adoption agency say adopting a child is as simple as making the initial phone call and being prepared to open your hearts and your homes.