A beautiful day to help mothers

[April 30, 2018]   LINCOLN - The Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center hosted its annual Walk for Life on Saturday, April 28th. The event was held at the Lincoln Christian Church from 9 a.m. to noon and was a day filled with fellowship, a cake walk, a silent auction, door prizes, and food all in support and celebration of life.

Each year, the walk raises over $15,000. The Pregnancy Resource Center, which benefits from the funds raised by the walk, has been in Lincoln since 1988. Center director Linda Nelson says they serve hundreds of clients a year, providing services such as pre-pregnancy resources, pregnancy testing, counseling, adoption support, and post-abortion healing. They also help people schedule ultrasounds at one of the centers in Bloomington or Pekin when needed.



Tony Shuff opened the event with a prayer thanking God for lives saved and households restored and asking him to bless families and children. He welcomed participants and thanked those who donated to the cake walk and silent auction.

Participants had many reasons for supporting the center.



Ben Vogel has been participating in the walk since 2013. His late wife Carol volunteered at the Pregnancy Resource Center for many years, raised over $50,000 over the years she participated in the walk, and helped set up several silent auctions. Vogel sets of goal of raising $11,000 each year to both help the Center and honor her memory.

Miriam Carter has been involved in the walk for over 20 years when she was just an infant, so it has become a family tradition.

Alice Doehring was a volunteer at the Center for many years and now helps with the walk. Doehring said when she was pregnant in 1973 with one of her children, the doctor noticed something may be wrong with her baby and recommended an abortion. Doehring chose not to abort and said the healthy daughter she had was a miracle.

Patty Drake, who helped with the cake walk, loves to be a part of the walk to save babies.

After the walk, Nelson gave awards to some notable participants. The top donor award went to Ben Vogel who has participated in the walk for many years and raised over $7,000 this year. The second highest donor was Deb Harvey.

All the support is appreciated, for it is through sponsors, individual and church financial support, and fundraising events like the Walk for Life that the Pregnancy Resource Center can provide services to those who need it.

[Angela Reiners]