On Monday, August 25, Oregon Right to Life joined supporters of adoption statewide in celebrating the first annual Oregon Adoption Day. The official celebration was established this year thanks to a life-affirming measure advanced by Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville).
“The day this bill recognizes is not just a date on a calendar: It’s my day,” Rep. Elmer said on the House Floor in April. “The day that forever changed my story, gave me a future, and placed me in the arms of a mother who chose me as her own, and ultimately led me here today, talking to you.”
Rep. Elmer introduced HB 2019 during the 2025 legislative session to establish August 25 as Oregon Adoption Day. The measure received unanimous, bipartisan approval from both chambers of the legislature.
“Adoption is an act of courage,” Elmer told colleagues. “It requires sacrifice, selflessness, and a whole lot of faith from all sides. It weaves together lives in ways that reflect the best of our humanity, and it is worthy of recognition.”
For Elmer, the establishment of “Oregon Adoption Day” shines “a light on the beauty of adoption” and sends “a message to every adopted child in Oregon: You are seen. You are loved. And you matter.”
“Rallying unanimous, bipartisan approval in Oregon for a life-affirming measure like HB 2019 is no small feat,” Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Lois Anderson said. “Representative Elmer achieved something remarkable with this bill, and I’m delighted to celebrate Oregon Adoption Day this year for the first time.”
“Representative Elmer’s vulnerability in sharing her own adoption story as she presented this important piece of legislation is an inspiration,” Anderson continued. “I look forward to honoring Oregon Adoption Day every year moving forward, and I hope that the bipartisan support for HB 2019 sets a precedent for the passage of many life-affirming bills in the future.”
Pro-life advocates and members of Oregon Right to Life’s team joined Rep. Elmer at a celebration of Oregon Adoption Day at Discovery Community Park in McMinnville on August 25.
See photos from the McMinnville celebration below (click the arrows to view more photos).
This text is modified from a press release put out by Oregon Right to Life on August 25.
