Under a white tent on a clear night, around 100 people gathered for a gourmet tasting dinner and silent auction at the Stonewall House in Greenwich for a charity event benefiting Rye Brook's Forever Families Through Adoption (FFTA), an adoption placement agency and resource center.

"An Evening at Stonewall Pond" is the second annual gourmet dinner and silent auction benefiting FFTA. This year's event has already raised $15,000 in ticket sales and donations, with additional proceeds from the silent auction still being counted. The money raised will be used for education and outreach programs in schools, hospitals, prisons and community centers, and for creating a mentoring program for teen adoptees.

Joy and Michael Goldstein founded FFTA in April 2007. Michael is a lawyer and he and his wife are both social workers. Together they are adoptive parents of three who have worked alongside each other helping families with the adopt process for more 25 years.

"We decided to open a nonprofit adoption agency to be able to provide more services to our clients," Joy said. "And most importantly to be able to educate the community, professionals and students in the school systems, patients in the community hospitals and provide outreach to pregnant women that are incarcerated."

She said the organization's mission was also "to be a safe haven for newborn children that might otherwise end up in the state foster care system."

Several local restaurants prepared tasting dishes for the event, and attendees got to sample delectable fare that included tuna pizza, fried oysters and conch fritters. Some of the participants included Morgans Fish House, Ruby's Oyster Bar, along with Café Mirage and Sonora in Port Chester, The Melting Pot in White Plains, Southport Brewing Company in Stamford and Barcelona in Greenwich.

Lisa McKiernan of the Pearl Restaurant Group, the company that owns Ruby's and Morgans, was on the Forever Families through Adoption committee last year and helped create the idea of the gourmet tasting event.

"Our involvement comes directly from me," she said. "My oldest son is adopted and FFTA is the agency that found him for us."

Other sponsors included: The Wine Gallery in Rye Brook, Aries Wine and Spirits, White Plains Linen, All Star Imports in Yonkers, Chocolations and Frank's House of Flowers in Mamaroneck.

The 10-person staff of FFTA, with board members and volunteers, began planning for the event in January. Attendance at the gourmet tasting dinner and silent auction cost a donation of $125.00 per person. The opening bids for the 35 silent auctions ranged from $30 to $775. Auction items included a one-year family membership to the Rye Arts Center, four field level Mets tickets, and a ski and snowboarding package at Greek Peak Mountain.

The Stonewall House, where the event was held, overlooks Stonewall Pond and is the home of board members Betsy and Ken Martin. To add even more flare to the event, members of the Danbury High School Orchestra played as guests arrived and as they sampled the gourmet dishes.

"We try to get the orchestra out to get a good experience," said Mary Peters, the school's orchestra director.

Last year the event raised $30,000, and according to Joy, FFTA is feeling the effects of the poor economy and found it more challenging this year in terms of tickets sales. But she said the cause is so worthwhile that people are still willing to give.

"It's all about the children," she said. "Adoption has touched so many lives."

FFTA is staffed by social workers, adoptive parents, adult adoptees, and attorneys. Joy believes that the organization's small size and hands on attention in getting to know clients personally are what sets FFTA apart.

"We have been through the experience personally and professionally," she said.