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Four years ago, five people from Maryville dreamed up an event to promote adoption of children in state custody. This year, the 2008 Adoption Tour brought 54 bicyclists together to pedal 433.7 miles across the state of Tennessee with about 30 support personnel.

"The Adoption Tour mirrors the journey children take to their adoptive home," said Pam Wolf, executive director of Harmony Adoptions in Maryville and founder of the Tour.

"For example, this year, our riders had to face torrential rains on their Tuesday ride, and of course, the ride up the Cumberland Plateau is always a struggle for some of the riders. What keeps them going is knowing that the children in state custody face even harder struggles every single day."

According to the Department of Children's Services Commissioner Viola Miller, nearly 400 children are currently in full guardianship of the state, awaiting adoption. More than half of these are teenagers, who run the risk of aging out of the foster system without a home or support network when they turn 18 years old.

In 2005, Wolf was approached by three Harmony Adoptions employees, Michael Yates, Jim Norwood, Brenda Faulkner and Robert Morgan, all of whom are serious bicyclists. They dreamed of an event that combined their passion for adoption with their passion for cycling. The Adoption Tour started with five riders the first year.

This year, the group of bicyclists included adoptive parents, adoption professionals from across the state and adoption advocates. They rode into nine celebrations across the state in Memphis, Bartlett, Jackson, Camden, Dickson, Nashville, Lebanon, Sparta and Knoxville.

At each of the celebrations, adoptive families were celebrated, information about adoption was provided and support was offered by the Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) program.

The statewide ASAP program, led by Harmony Adoptions, provides services such as crisis intervention, support groups, counseling, mentors and individualized care. In addition, pre-adoption training is provided to help families prepare for a successful experience.

Wolf notes that November is National Adoption Awareness Month, a time to celebrate adoption as a positive, proactive way to build families.

For more information about adoption, call (888) 995-5225 or visit www.adoptiontour.org.