For Immediate Release: October 5, 2011

SEATTLE, WA – Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) announced his selection of Washington State Representative Eric Pettigrew as a 2011 “Angel in Adoption.” The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption program, will honor Representative Pettigrew, along with 109 other Angels, at a national awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, October 5, 2011.

“I am pleased to nominate State Representative Eric Pettigrew for the 2011 Angels in Adoption award. Representative Pettigrew has been a tireless advocate on foster care issues with a focus on addressing racial disproportionality in the foster care system.” said Congressman McDermott. “Representative Pettigrew is also the proud adoptive father of his 11 year-old daughter Linda.  Representative Pettigrew’s personal experience with foster care and adoption gives him a unique perspective on how to address issues affecting our most vulnerable youth in the State of Washington.”

The Angels in Adoption program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad.

Representative Pettigrew lives with his wife, Jada, and their son, Justin and daughter Linda in the Mt. Baker neighborhood in Seattle.

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Follow McDermott on Twitter: @RepJimMcDermott.