UGH. Need to Vent. Birthmother's Day

Hello everyone. I haven't been on here in ages, but really wanted to vent about something that happened yesterday. Background: I have been involved with the agency that facilitated the relinquishment of my son for some time now in attending their support groups. I can honestly say, these meetings have been a big help to me as I was going through the reunion process, in particular hearing other people's stories, both first parents and adoptees (and occasionally we have adoptive parents attending as well) and also getting individual support from the woman who handles search and reunion. While I have major issues with agencies in general, and some with mine in particular, overall, the post-adoption and reunion services they have provided have been very good. Another major reason I like to attend these groups is because I have a strong desire to meet with other first moms (sometimes we get dads, too) in person, and help them navigate the reunion process, as so many others were there for me throughout my own emotional roller-coaster ride. The agency also sponsors a Birthmother's Day brunch every year, which I have attended a number of times in past years. Even though I have mixed feelings about the whole day (and I celebrate Mother's Day just like any other mother), I like to go to talk to the other first moms, enjoy a nice meal, and again, give and receive support. These events are usually very nicely done and well-organized, and of course, they are emotional, too, but overall I have found them to be handled in a very sensitive way. This year's brunch was held yesterday, and I had the honor of having a very good friend accompany me, who is in the very early stages of searching for her son. This was her first time at any sort of agency meeting. After we were going through group introductions, the director of the maternity department (or whatever it's called, this is the woman who handles adoptions, not the post-adoption search & reunion worker who typically runs these events by herself), wanted to give a "speech." In this speech, she told us the agency was celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year, and went on about all the services they provide and how we have all benefitted from these services, and if any of us were interested in "giving back" we could (and only if we wanted to, of course, it wasn't mandatory) have our photos taken at the brunch, and "share our stories" to be used in their promotional materials (release forms to be provided, of course). Needless to say, I was horrified. I turned to the post-adoption worker and motioned her to come over. I expressed that I thought the whole spiel being given by the director was in very bad form, and she looked at me puzzled. I said I would talk to her about it later, but decided not to broach the subject at the event. When we had a break, I spoke to my friend, who said she was really put off by this whole marketing speech, and I told her my feelings on the whole thing as well. I did approach the director and told her under no circumstances did I want my photo taken at the event, any of my words recorded or used for any reason, and she said that was fine, but still, I felt uneasy about this woman even being there in the first place the whole rest of the afternoon. There were two or three first moms who were all gung-ho about having their photos taken and "telling their stories" and while I respect that for some, perhaps they feel the agency really was "there for them" and their experiences were good, I and my friend were quite upset that after going through the loss of our children, we should be asked to be shills for the agency in order to "give back" to them. Haven't we given enough? And to do this on a special day dedicated to us as birth/first mothers was especially insensitive, from my perspective. I cannot help but wonder on this "100th anniversary" if the agency is not in desperate need for babies, thus the aggressive soliciting of a captive audience of first mothers to tell other women how wonderful the agency was to them in their "time of need." And I GET that they are an agency, a business, essentially, and as such, they want to put "positive stories" out there. And that some women are fine with that and willing to do it. BUT. Could they not have solicited people individually, either through a phone call or an email? And I don't know if I'm over-thinking this, but it also felt very coercive to me to do it as part of our brunch, while we were all there feeling very emotional and some of us even vulnerable, like my friend, who was there for the first time. Anyway, I was just needing to get this off my chest and any feedback in terms of what I should say in my letter would be appreciated.