The 39th annual Royal Hanneford Circus is coming to town this weekend, and nearly 100 foster kids will be able to enjoy this great Westchester tradition free of charge thanks to a generous donation of tickets to the Department of Social Services for the second year in a row from Titan, the U.S. leader in transit media and a longtime advertising partner of Westchester County.

"The circus and childhood go hand in hand," said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. "We are so fortunate that for a second year in a row, we will be able to give our foster families the chance to enjoy this great show for free. I want to again thank Titan and the Royal Hanneford Circus for this generous donation on behalf of our kids."

Don Allman, President and CEO of Titan, said the company is happy to again be able to donate these tickets so that local foster families can experience a great Westchester tradition.
"Contributing to the community is extremely important to us, and so we're glad we can give back again this year," Allman said.

The Theodoropoulos family is one of the families looking forward to the circus.

Konstantina and Milton Theodoropoulos became foster parents in July 2012, after being married for ten years and trying unsuccessfully to have children of their own.

They have fostered their only child, Ephraim Seraphim, since birth, visiting him in the hospital and taking him home when he was only 10 days old. Ephraim was adopted this past Adoption Day, on Nov. 22, 2013.

Now the Theodoropoulos family is ready for Ephraim to have a sibling. For the second time, they are on the list of parents waiting to take home a foster child.

"Ephraim is our child, our son. Now he needs a sibling," Konstantina said. "We are very fortunate and very thankful to our foster care workers, and of course, everyone that has contributed to make our dream of having a family come true. We are excited to enjoy a day at the circus together as a family."

Department of Social Services Commissioner Kevin McGuire added his appreciation, saying: "On behalf of our foster children, I want to thank Titan and the Royal Hanneford Circus for giving our families the chance to participate in the great American tradition of attending the circus as a child. We look forward to making this an annual tradition in Westchester County."

The Royal Hanneford Circus will perform nine shows Feb. 15, 16 and 17. Show times are 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Tickets are available at the Westchester County Center Box Office, 198 Central Park Ave., White Plains, or via Ticketmaster. Call the County Center at (914) 995-4050 to purchase tickets today.

"The Hanneford Family Circus has been performing at the Westchester County Center for 39 years," said Gertrude (Struppi) Hanneford. "Westchester is like our second home! We are pleased to partner with Titan and the Westchester County Department of Social Services to provide a fun-filled performance for Westchester's foster children."

Anyone interested in finding out more about being a foster parent should call the United Way's 2-1-1 helpline.