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Darrick Rizzo!Writer and Keynote Speaker !!As the owner of Rizzo
Productions, Darrick Rizzo helps many high school athletes prepare
to make their college dreams come true. He understands the
importance of networking and never
misses a chance to make connections. While on the job, Darrick
once met the Chief of Security of the Baltimore Ravens and tucked
his business card into his pocket. Years later, when he needed a
foreword for his dramatic new book, The Open Adoption, that card
would lead Darrick to connect with Michael Oher, NFL Super Bowl
Champion with the Baltimore Ravens and featured in the film,The
Blind Side. Apart from meeting the champion offensive tackle, and
sharing his inspiring story, Darrick also proved the importance of
the mantra he now shares with students all across the country:
!
“First you must find COURAGE, then you must accept CHANGE, now
you are ready to NETWORK, but always know OBSTACLES will come
along
during your JOURNEY TO SUCCESS.” !Now one of the first birth
fathers to speak out about adoption, Darrick blogs
at two national adoption agencies: www.iheartadoption.org and
www.chsfs.org. Thousands of adoptive parents, birth parents and
adoptees are reading these blogs and finding inspiration and
answers to their questions. Darrick is excited to share his
insights and experience with open adoption and to
show the birth father's perspective in the adoption
triad.
Darrick Rizzo Writes and Speaks on these
topics:!!Open Adoption!
Birth Father Rights!Communicating with
Adoptive Parents!Keeping in Touch with
Adopted Children
“He tells his story in a very compassionate way which has
proved to be very helpful, educational and emotional for
adoptive parents who are in the process of deciding if adoption
is
an option for them.” Lois Eckels Williams, The Eckels
Adoption Agency
http://www.iheartadoption.orghttp://www.chsfs.org/http://www.iheartadoption.orghttp://www.chsfs.org/
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As a successful businessman, father, mentor and community
leader, Darrick pays it forward by speaking out and motivating
others. With Rizzo Productions, he facilitates new connections
between parents, high school athletes and college coaches making
sure the athletes put their best foot forward with video
portfolios.!Slam Magazine called Darrick Rizzo "The Kobe Bryant
stopper" holding Kobe to his lowest high school basketball game, a
total of 8 points. For the past ten years, Darrick has also worked
with programs like My Brothers Keeper and the Big Brother as a
drug and alcohol mentor for troubled youth.!
All these experiences have inspired Darrick to become a
Motivational and Transformation Speaker and Blogger, empowering
others to overcome obstacles and find success. Darrick understands
the power of positive thinking and is grateful to be able to share
this understanding with thousands of students through keynote
speeches, as well as his life-lessons in adoption through national
adoption agencies. Darrick knows no matter what’s going on, there’s
nothing you can’t handle. Everything is possible. You can turn your
pain into something positive. Join him in his outspoken and
jubilant slogan:!
YOU GOT THIS! To book Darrick Rizzo for keynote speeches or
workshops please call
570-322-3298.!www.theopenadoption.com!www.DarrickRizzo.com!theopenadoption.tumblr.com
In his dramatic new book, The Open Adoption, Darrick tells a
tale of hope, loss and faith when, at age eighteen, he gave up
his son in an Open Adoption that turned out to be anything but
open. With a foreword by
Michael Oher, NFL Super Bowl Champion with the Baltimore Ravens
and featured in the
film,The Blind Side.
Mr. Rizzo’s narrative is riveting. His story is
poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply
inspiring. Ann Wrixon, Independent
Adoption Center
http://www.theopenadoption.comhttp://www.DarrickRizzo.comhttp://theopenadoption.tumblr.comhttp://www.theopenadoption.comhttp://www.DarrickRizzo.comhttp://theopenadoption.tumblr.com
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Darrick Rizzo, Keynote Speaker References !Say No to Drugs Jill
Crouse-Wolf, Campus Director River Rock Academy High School PA
[email protected] (717) 244-7453 !Overcoming Life
Obstacles Assistant Principal Brandon Carter William Penn High
School York PA [email protected] 717-849-1218
!Multicultural/Diversity Student Leadership Querida Lugo, Associate
Director of Multicultural Department West Chester University, PA
qlugo@wcupa 570 974-9308 !Networking Professor Heather Mazik,
Marketing Dept. Clarion University [email protected] 814-221-1254
!Adoption Ann Wrixon, MSW, MBA Executive Director, Independent
Adoption Center (IAC) 800-571-2913 !“Darrick Rizzo was “great” as
the guest speaker at the Black Student Union’s Black History Month
Dinner. His energy was contagious. He shared his guiding principles
of “What not to do during your journey to success” . The steps were
practical and we were entertained with his examples from his own
life experiences that helped him identify these important steps.”
Jannis V. Floyd. Ed.D. Associate Professor Education and Special
Education Department, Mansfield University [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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Independent Adoption Center • (800) 877-6736 •
www.adoptionhelp.orgAtlanta 2060 East Exchange Pl., Suite 140
Tucker, GA 30084 • Indianapolis 5136 E. Stop 11 Rd., Suite 30
Indianapolis, IN 46237 • Los Angeles 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite
1450 Los Angeles, CA 90045
Raleigh 11030 Raven Ridge Rd., Suite 109 Raleigh, NC 27614 • San
Francisco 2300 Clayton Road, Suite 1150 Concord, CA 94520 • Houston
5555 West Loop South, Suite 550 Houston, TX 77401New York 116 W.
23rd St., Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 • Stamford Connecticut
Business Center, Six Landmark Square, 4th Floor, Stamford, CT
06901
Tampa 3030 N. Rocky Point Dr. W, Suite 150, Tampa, FL 33607
professional / licensed / nonprofit
!!!February 14th, 2014!!!Dear Sir or Madam,!!Darrick Rizzo
recently spoke at our monthly Adoption Workshop for new prospective
adoptive parents at Independent Adoption Center. His personal story
is both educational and engaging. The participants at the workshop
truly enjoyed his heartfelt presentation as it increased their
understanding and empathy for the emotional journey birthfathers
endure. It also serves as a reminder that open adoption is nothing
to fear and that when decisions about maintaining contact are
driven by fear, unnecessary hurt and confusion results for all
parties involved. The hope is that prospective adoptive parents who
listen to Darrick's story can move forward in their adoption
journey with an understanding and appreciation of the importance of
honesty, integrity, and compassion as the relationship between the
adoptive and birth family develops.!!If you have any further
questions, please feel free to contact me.!!Sincerely,!!Jennifer
Bliss, LCSW, LPCC, PsyD!National Associate Counseling
Director!Independent Adoption Center!116 West 23rd St #500!New
York, NY 10011!646-558-6505!!
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Darrick Rizzo Motivational Speaker- LA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEIG1w2JqZs
!Darrick Rizzo Motivational Speaker 2014:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKRkiQsUsBg
Watch Darrick Rizzo in Action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEIG1w2JqZshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKRkiQsUsBghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEIG1w2JqZshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKRkiQsUsBg
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The Eckels Adoption Agency
994 Vallamont Drive Williamsport, PA 17701 Fax/Phone
570-323-2520
7/26/2012
The Eckels Adoption Agency is an equal opportunity adoption
agency and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, or handicaps in its programs, activities or
employment.
To Whom It May Concern: Darrick Rizzo is a man I worked with
approximately sixteen years ago. Darrick and his girlfriend came
to see me because Darrick’s
girlfriend, who was a senior in
high school, was pregnant.
Darrick was a freshman in college. During the process
of meeting with me, his girlfriend decided that adoption was the
best option for their baby. Darrick himself desired to keep the
baby, but he supported his girlfriend’s desire
to make an adoption plan for
their baby as she really wanted
that and thought it would be best for all three of them.
Darrick and his girlfriend met several couples and eventually chose
a couple who they thought would be the most appropriate for their
baby. Many promises were made to the birthparents by the adoptive
parents. The birthparents believed that this was the best choice
and thus after their baby was born, the baby was subsequently
placed with this adoptive family who did not live in the area where
Darrick and his girlfriend resided. Darrick has now been coming to
my prospective adoptive parent groups to tell his story and the
disappointment, sadness and anger that he has dealt with because
the adoptive parents did not live up to their promises. He tells
his story in a very compassionate way which has proved to be very
helpful, educational and emotional for adoptive parents who are in
the process of deciding if adoption is an option for them. He
details his entire experience as a birthfather from prior to the
birth of his son to the present. He is nonjudgmental and forgiving
of the adoptive parents in the approach to his story. He has spoken
to at least four prospective adoptive parent groups for this agency
and his presentation is superb. He is very honest and forthright
and he certainly makes prospective adoptive parents think. Many
people who have heard his presentation have told me later that it
was very helpful. One gentleman said, “I came
into the group thinking of
birth parents as somewhat selfish
and not caring about their children and
Darrick has certainly changed my
mind.” Another person commented
that they would now never make
a promise to a birth parent
that they didn’t think they
could fulfill. Another person
stated that in hearing Darrick’s
story, it would help her
explain to her adopted children how much
the birth parents really cared for them and why they made the
adoption plan that they did. Darrick is interested in presenting
his story to other agencies or groups and I would highly recommend
him and be glad to talk with anyone who may desire to have Darrick
give his presentation.
Sincerely yours, Lois Eckels Williams, ACSW
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!
!
!!December 22, 2013
A Birthfather’s Remarkable Journey through Open Adoption Every
potential adoptive parent and adoption professional owes it to
himself or herself to hear Darrick Rizzo’s remarkable story of
responsibility, resilience, and love for the son he placed for
adoption. Promised an open adoption, Mr. Rizzo kept every promised
he made, sending letters, photos and gifts over 15 years, despite
repeated broken promises by the adoptive family to send photos and
allow visits. Mr. Rizzo’s story is for every adoptive parent who
believes that birthfather’s are absent, uncaring or do not want to
be part of an open adoption. Mr. Rizzo never wavered in his
commitment to the birth son he placed for adoption. He persisted in
his efforts to remain in contact with his birth son in the face of
an unending series of obstacles that would have deterred a less
resilient and determined man. More profoundly, Mr. Rizzo forgives
the adoptive family, and clearly shows that his intention was never
to interfere with the adoption or replace the adoptive parents. His
objection was merely to give his son the gift of knowing his
adoption was done out of love, so he would know his birthfather
loved him always. Mr. Rizzo’s narrative is riveting. His story is
poignant, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply inspiring. This is a
story of a love so deep that it could overcome any difficulty. Mr.
Rizzo shows that adoptive parents should not fear birthfathers, but
embrace them as a vital, and important, part of an open adoption. I
would encourage adoption professionals to invite Mr. Rizzo to speak
to both adoptive and potential adoptive parents, as well as birth
families. Ann Wrixon, MSW, MBA Executive Director!!!!!!!!!!!!!
