SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - It's a big milestone for Adopt 8, the Chargers, and San Diego County Adoptions. Each year, we work together to help raise adoption awareness with a calendar and 2017 will mark the 10th edition.
The first calendar featured retired Chargers player Jacques Cesaire and a lot has changed in the nine years, since Cesaire first met three siblings. The children now have proud parents and are part of a forever family, which was something they were missing when Cesaire and the kids graced the cover of the 2008 calendar.
During his time with the Chargers, Cesaire appeared in several calendars featuring players and Adopt 8 kids waiting to find a forever home.
“No kid should be left out there by themselves, no kid should not have somebody to want to raise them and raise them right,” said Cesaire. “We're all God's people. God put us here for a reason and it's to help each other out and do what we can for each other.”
Now, to mark the upcoming 10th edition, Cesaire got the chance the chance to reunite with Giovani, Karla, Mariana and their mom and dad.
“When you're doing things like this you're hoping for the kids, you're praying for the kids. But to see all this come to fruition it's just amazing,” continued Cesaire. “I'm trying not to get too choked up about it because that's really cool, that's really cool, to come back 10 years later to see this.”
Recreating their photo shoot from nearly a decade ago, their then-and-now photos will be part of a special success stories section in the 2017 Join the Team Calendar and this family is proof the calendar really works to promote adoption awareness.
“Well we were in a training class when we first saw the calendar with the kids in it,” said Cesaire.
A short time later, Darlene and Denny welcomed the kids into their lives, a win, win, win, win situation.
“A win for the Chargers, a win for mom and dad, a win for the kids but a win also for society at large, because we're doing something. Well every parent that's adopting are doing something great,” Cesaire said. “This is amazing it's really not about us. It's about the parents that actually went out and sought these kids out and adopted them. And that's all you need is somebody to care and to just go out and do it.”
The 2017 Join the Team Calendar will be revealed and handed out at the Chargers-Dolphins game November 13 with more distribution locations to be announced.
If you are interested in adopting or becoming a foster family, please call 1-877-I-ADOPT-U.