New pro-life chapter creates 3,700-cross display

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W. Dayton Whittle

February 3, 2010

By Amelia Pridemore

Telling people 3,700 abortions are performed daily could have an impact.

But a new Fayette County anti-abortion organization’s leaders say seeing nearly 4,000 crosses representing each one has a much deeper one.

The relatively new Fayette County chapter of West Virginians for Life put together a 3,700-cross display last month on Main Street in Mount Hope. The chapter’s president, Lavada Whitt, says each cross represents a baby who has lost his or her life to abortion every day in the United States.

“I say that number, 3,700, all the time,” Whitt said. “But seeing this could have a huge impact on people.”

Whitt said the chapter sent several invitations out to local churches for its first public event. The organization with 12 official members, which just had its first meeting last month, had 50 to 60 people come out.

“We even had little kids putting in the crosses with their Little Tikes hammers,” she said. “We had people who were walking by on the street who joined us.”

Whitt said she hopes people who see this display will want to work to stop abortion, particularly by joining an anti-abortion organization’s chapter. She encouraged people who may be contemplating becoming active in the pro-life movement to show up for a meeting at least once.

“I would encourage them to just show up once — for one meeting. They could come and look at this display.

“...If you could save one baby’s life for one hour of your time, it would be worth it.”

Future activities for the Fayette County chapter, Whitt said, include an event similar to the national “March for Life” at the state capitol in February. She encouraged anyone interested in the chapter’s activities to visit its Web site at www.savingthebabies.com. It meets at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at Mount Hope United Methodist Church.

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