I have just returned from Saskatchewan where the Run for Life was officially launched.
Master of Ceremonies at the opening rally was Alex Banga, project director of the Run For Life, Penny Lea opened and closed the ceremonies with beautiful spiritual pro-life songs.
Speakers at the rally were Father Abello of Vancouver; Michael Martorana, the key runner; Jacqueline Owen, president of Alliance for Life; Joe Kammermayer, Support of Life director; Gay Caswell, M.L.A in the Saskatchewan government; Reverend Jim Petruik, pastor of the Westside Alliance Church; and myself. A group of students from Miller’s High School in Regina supplied the entertainment.
It was one of the most miserable ceremonies I have ever attended weather-wise. The morning was cold, cloudy, very windy, and it was raining. It took an act of faith to stand there for one and a half hours during the ceremonies.
But most of the crowd of approximately 400 took it on the chin gracefully and stayed for the entire ceremony and then ran and walked in bitter wind-driven rain. Only dedicated pro-lifers could “stay the course” under such adverse weather conditions.
My message was brief – I didn’t have the heart to sermonize for a whole hour while everybody shivered.
The Run For Life is important not just because it’s 160 miles long and will take a week to complete. Not just because it will raise close to $1 million, a world record, I’m told.
It’s important because it gives visible evidence to the country that there are multitudes of pro-life people who care enough to come out and show their flag.
It’s important because the politicians who make such laws are impressed only by numbers – that is, counting noses. After all, it is not the Gallup people who elect politicians to office, but real people like you here today.
The pro-death bunch (the abortionists) constantly keep throwing Gallup Poll figures about how most Canadians support abortion.
Yet in the last two years, in almost every single demonstration in all parts of Canada, the pro-lifers have outnumbered the pro-abortionists by 3 to 1. Even here in Winnipeg, where big chief Morgentaler opened his mini-death abortuary, pro-lifers outnumber the Morgentaler picketers up to 10 to 1.
Strange that the Gallup Poll just can’t produce the real people to match their phoney statistical people.
But even if the Gallup Poll were correct, should we give up the fight simply because the majority were in favour of abortion?
I congratulated them for having the only pro-life government in Canada which they should support and pray for – and keep the pressure on for more pro-life reforms.
All in all, it was a heart-warming and bone-chilling experience.
As we walked and ran in the bitterly cold rain to Regina, I was reminded of the saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
Our dear Lord has blessed Saskatchewan with the toughest and most generous pro-lifers in Canada.
I salute them and hope they complete the Saskatoon to Regina Run For Life and raise the million dollars they have set out to do
