By Portia Williams
NEW BOSTON — The Scioto County Right to Life (SCRTL) will conduct it’s annual Lila Donley Life Chain on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015, at Vinyl Kraft, 3404 Rhodes Avenue in New Boston from 2-3 p.m. The Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans, praying for our nation and an end to abortion.
According to SCRTL, it is a visible statement to the local community that they support the sanctity of human life. Rev. Robert Coffey of Apostolic Gospel Church, and president of SCRTL, said the annual Life Chain is an important event for the local community.
“This event is very important, because what happens is on this date across the country, the national national Right to Life asks different chapters to participate,” Coffey said. “So it is our way of binding together with everyone else around the country on a specific day, to stand for the cause and bring attention, and recognition to the cause of protecting the unborn.”
The event is named in honor of Lila Donley, former president of Scioto County Right to Life. Before Lila passed away in 2011, she worked tirelessly to support the sanctity of life for more than three decades.
“We normally have about 100 people, and we take up between Blackburn’s grocery and go as far as Heritage Square. We have stretched even down into their property, and try to stand there about six feet apart,” he said. “It is supposed to be a solemn thing, we don’t yell or scream, it is not a protest by any means. We are just prayerful, and thinking about the cause, and to reverence the moment that we are standing there.”
The response to the Life Chain event is mostly positive, he said.
“When we’re standing out there we get a lot of positive feedback, a lot of people honk their horns, or wave,” he said. “They will even hang out the window sometimes and say, “Good job, or way to go.”
As with anything, there is always opposition.
“Every year we get a few, we get a couple that come down through there and give us hand gestures that are opposite,” he said.
Those who are interested in participating are asked to meet on the parking lot of Vinyl Kraft, 3404 Rhodes Avenue, New Boston, at 1:45 p.m. The Life Chain will begin at 2 p.m. For questions, contact Rev. Robert Coffey, president of SCRTL, at 740-354-1108.
The SCRTL will conduct its next chapter meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, at 6 p.m. at 5581 State Route 139 in Rubyville, just across the street from Craft’s Custom Kitchens. All supporters of life are welcome to attend.
Those interested in helping to educate the local public on life issues, or that want to receive periodic updates from Scioto County Right to Life on issues and upcoming events, visit the SCRTL Facebook page, or send an email to: [email protected]. SCRTL also has speakers available to address life issues for local church, school and civic groups. For more information about SCRTL, visit online at www.sciotolife.org.
Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.
