Reporter recognized for story on adoption

Daily Herald Staff Writer Amy Boerema will be honored Friday with the Friends of Adoption Award from the Sunny Ridge Family Center during a fundraiser in Oak Brook.

The Bolingbrook-based agency chose Boerema for the award as a result of her contributions to the paper's "Finding Family" series that published to much acclaim late last year.

The series, which took an in-depth look at international adoptions, also featured award-winning work by staff writers Stacy St. Clair and Eric Peterson and photographer Bev Horne -- all under the direction of editor Madeleine Doubek.

As part of the series, Boerema wrote a first-person account of being an adoptee who began life in an orphanage in Seoul, South Korea.

"We celebrate Amy's work in the 'Finding Family' series, as she shared her personal experiences as an adoptee," Sunny Ridge President Gary L. Longman said in a written statement.

"Through her writing, Amy has helped educate our community on the adoption issues we face today and in the future, particularly those of international adoptees."

The Sunny Ridge Family Center Gala Fundraiser starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort, 3500 Midwest Road, Oak Brook.

The group presents its Friends of Adoption Award each year to someone who presents adoption in a positive light through their words or actions.

Previous recipients include Mary Donley of DCFS, attorney Kathleen Hogan Morrison, Dr. Ira Chasnoff, radio personality Steve Cochran and recording artists Faith Hill and singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman.

The "Finding Family" series already has won numerous honors, including:

• the Sarah Brown Boyden award for Best Series from the Chicago Journalists Association;

• the Top Picture Story award from the Illinois AP Editors Association (for Horne's photos);

• a spot as a finalist for the Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club;

• and the Midwest Adoption Conference's excellence in journalism award.