For Kyle and Sarah Kuehne, the decision to have children was a no-brainer. Kyle, an adult protective service supervisor, and Sarah, an English teacher at Jersey Shore Area Middle School, ended up with two beautiful children; Charlotte, 5, and Caroline, 2. What took a bit more reflection, however, was the decision to adopt. The Kuehne’s were drawn toward adoption for quite a while and after some discussion and lots of prayers, decided to look internationally.

In February of this year, the couple decided to begin the process and initially looked to China, though ultimately decided to explore other options when they discovered that some of the requirements would significantly increase their timeline. As they continued their search, Sarah and Kyle learned about orphans with Down Syndrome through two local friends that had adopted such children. Then, in May, they learned about Alek, a little boy that recently turned two years old, and fell in love. Alek has Down syndrome and a heart condition and also happens to be from Bulgaria. The couple prayed and, working through Families United Network and Global Adoption Services, was granted permission to adopt Alek by the Bulgarian government.

There was a catch; however, as most people can guess, adopting a child is quite an expensive process. The couple immediately cut spending. Sarah took on a second job, and Kyle took extra shifts at work. Still, the $35,000 the Kuehne’s needed to raise was a long way off. Just the initial phase of submitting a dossier, a collection of legal and financial documents will cost $14,000. Not to be deterred, the couple reluctantly decided to launch a fundraiser. When asked how she felt about fundraising, Sarah said she was uncomfortable asking people for money but felt it was necessary to bring Alek home. Still, realizing, they needed help, they decided to move forward. “People have been great, and it’s beautiful to see the community coming together to help us.”

To meet their financial goals, they put together the Kuehne Family Adoption page on Facebook and on September 21st they will have a Ball Drop from a helicopter which will be streamed on Facebook Live at 4 pm. Golf balls will be numbered and then dropped at a target on the ground — closest balls to the target win. Winners will receive $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place.

Tickets can be purchased online or in person. Each golf ball costs $20. You can purchase tickets via check, cash, Venmo (Sarah-Kuehne), or even PayPal. Their PayPal account is MsSarahRWilliams@gmail.com. The goal is to sell 1000 golf balls!

Tickets can also be purchased at Pizza To Go, RoseBird Veterinary Center, Russell Florist, all in Jersey Shore, and Salon Magnolias in Williamsport.

If people would like to make a tax-deductible donation, they can do so using Adopt Together account, which is listed on the website (AdoptTogether.org) as “Kuehne Family Adoption.” For more information, please contact Sarah Kuehne at (570) 447-2203.