By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
While few people who support the Sav-A-Life foundation would call themselves activists, some of them are going get active Saturday.
The event is the Escambia County Sav-A-Life Walk For Life, to raise funds for the organization. This is the third annual walk, although it was changed from spring to fall so as not to conflict with the Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society fund-raiser.
In order to participate, walkers simply have friends, family, co-workers and others sponsor them, pledging a stated amount.
The walk participant then turns in the sponsor sheet the day of the walk. The pledge money is collected through the mail.
And the other particulars aren't that strict. If the weather turns bad, or for some other reason a participant can't work the walk into their schedule, he or she may walk on their own and mail in the sponsor sheet.
Ruth Weber, director of Sav-A-life said that a consultant group the organization utilizes said it would have better response if the walk were more flexible.
Last year the walk raised about $15,000. The goal this year, Weber said, is $20,000.
That money goes to pay salaries for two part-time employees, rent for the offices, advertising and class materials.
Additionally, Sav-A-Life would like to be able to relocate its offices to town. It is currently housed in the We Care headquarters, on State Road 21 near I-65.
The walk itself, about 2 miles, will be held in Atmore at the Lions Club Community Center. Two other walk sites, one in Flomaton and one in Brewton, are also going to be busy at the same time, 9 a.m.
Sav-A-Life is the only pro-life organization in Escambia County. It offers services to women, many free of charge.
"Sav-A-Life offers free pregnancy tests, but much more than that. We offer the opportunity for our clients to make healthy choices, choices they can live with," said Ruth Weber, director of the organization. "When one life is saved, a generation is saved. When one person learns to be a better parent, it will affect future generations. When one young person chooses abstinence until marriage, it makes a difference for a lifetime," she said.
Weber said they want to continue to be a place where people feel compassion and concern and where they do not feel judged because of the choices they have made.
Every dollar raised in the fund-raiser will go toward the work of Sav-A-Life. It teaches abstinence, offers parenting programs, sexual abuse recovery assistance, pregnancy testing, maternity clothing, baby items and adoption referral assistance.