I Am Baby Ray

A little context: Baird is a friend of mine and a member of St. Andrew’s.  We’re in the homestretch of our sermon series, “Radical,” and the primary challenge of “Radical” is for us to come back to basics, to the root, of our faith.  One dimension we’ve spoken about is our engagement in the community – in the world beyond ourselves.  I love that Baird has immersed himself in a different world.  I love what he’s undertaken.  Following is a bit about what he’s up to.  I hope it inspires you to be creative.

My name is Baird Sanders, and I am the President of the Board of Directors of the Florence Crittenton Programs of SC.

I would like to tell you a story about a girl named Margaret, who back in1963, was unwed and pregnant. Her step father had closed the door on her and that she was not welcome at their home. She turned to her minister, and he arranged for her to go to the Florence Crittenton Home after her first trimester. While living with some family out West, she did receive information about abortions in Miami, and quickly dismissed that information, and eventually made it to the Home. Back then, the girls had alias. Hers was Rusty, because of her red hair. She stayed at the home until she had a baby boy, which she named Baby Ray. Back then, most babies born from the home were put up for adoption, and Ray was adopted by a couple named Jim and Rosie. Ray was brought up with a strong work ethic and eventually graduated from The Citadel, married 1 week after graduation, and had 3 beautiful children. Curiosity eventually caught up with Ray after his father, Jim has passed. With the blessing of his mother, Rosie, who had always told Ray that he had been adopted, he began the search for his biological mother.

So in 1997, Ray did a search for his biological mother through DSS. DSS provided information, with all the names blacked out, about Rusty and her stay at the Home, and some information after birth. DSS also provided the names of people who performed searches for a small fee. Ray selected a woman from the Columbia area. As it turned out, the woman who did the search happened to go to church with the biological mother’s family. When Ray received Margaret’s contact information, he was cautioned to be patient, and really think about what he would say during the initial contact Once he received her phone number from the searcher, he immediately dialed her number, which he said he could feel blood pumping up to his ears.

“Hello, is this Margaret?”
“Yes it is”
“This is Ray, and I was born on August 26th, 1963, is this a good time to talk?”
A long pause continued.
“Before we hang up, I only have 2 things that I want to share with you.” “Nothing else”
Another pause,
“Well ok.”
“I just wanted to thank you for your decision, and I am married and have 3 beautiful children and I am doing ok.”
This is the first time I had ever spoken to my mother.
“My name is Baird Sanders, and I am baby Ray.”

To sum up where we are today, Margaret and her family have accepted me into their lives, as my family has with hers. It has been incredibly rewarding to find this missing piece to my life puzzle. There is not a day the goes by that I do not feel blessed that The Florence Crittenton Programs of SC was there for Margaret at my birth.

Where would I be today if FCP of SC was not there for her? Would I have my adoptive parents, all the friends that I have made, my wife, my children, etc?

Today, I am the President of the Board of Directors of FCP of SC. My most recent project for FCP of SC, is the 35th Annual Swim around Key West. I want to share with you, and ask you to share with your friends that would like to help me swim around Key West to benefit FCP of SC. The feeling that I get while I am training in the pool for can not be explained in words, because it is coming from straight from my heart. Sometimes I feel that I could actually swim TO Key West, instead of just swimming 12.5 miles Around Key West.

Baird Sanders
Crittenton Baby and Board President
Email: bairdsanders@bellsouth.net
Cell: 843-303-0119

Key West Swim
Baird is participating in the 35th Annual Swim around Key West on June 4, 2011. He is dedicating his swim to the Florence Crittenton Programs of SC, which provides comprehensive services for young pregnant women in South Carolina. All pledge donations will go to the normal operating expense of FCP, and all donations are tax deductible. For more information you can go to www.florencecrittentonsc.org, or, Swim Project Page www.giveloud.com Swim around Key West.