By Stori Long
Reporter
Throughout history, walks have been used by some of the greatest social revolutionaries of all time.
Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi used walks as a means to convey solidarity for a particular cause.
Today, the use of the walk to raise awareness and support is still in full effect. Among those groups is Care Net of Central Texas, who will hold their 18th Annual Walk for Life at 9:30 a.m. on April 16 at Baylor’s Hart Patterson Track and Field Complex.
Those who volunteer to participate in the two-mile walk find other outside parties, who may not be able to make the walk themselves, to sponsor them.
The money goes directly to fund Care Net in its efforts to provide pregnancy education to women and alternatives to abortion.
“It’s one of our biggest annual fundraisers,” Austin senior Elizabeth George, public relations intern for Care Net, said.
“We aid 25,000 women annually who are facing a crisis pregnancy; 300 people participate in order to help us support Care Net as a life-affirming agency to families all over Central Texas.”
This year, Care Net is doing something special for those who walk by bringing in past Care Net babies in order to show them exactly where their money is going.
Supporters of Care Net see it as an incredibly important establishment in Waco and one that should receive support from the community.
“I think that it’s an extremely valuable resource for a population that is underserved, especially at Baylor,” Hunstville senior and Care Net supporter Leah Simpson said.
One of the areas Care Net specifically concentrates on is offering prenatal education and parenting classes for pregnant women.
Houston senior Rachanna Chinn, a student leader in St. Peter’s Pro-Life ministry, has worked closely with crisis pregnancy centers like Care Net and puts his full support behind them.
“Care Net is extremely helpful in letting women know that abortion is not their only option,” Chinn said.
“Pro-Life ministry helps minister to women who have already had abortions, but Care Net helps women to never have to go through that pain at all.”
Chinn also said he supports Care Net as a positive representation of the anti-abortion movement.
“Lots of times when people think of “pro-life” they think about screaming violent protesters, but most of us aren’t like that at all,” Chinn said.
“Care Net is about actively getting involved in the lives of the women they are helping, and Walk for Life is a very tangible way for those who care about this issue to put their money where their mouth is.”
Walk for Life, aside from raising funding will also serve to raise awareness about what it is doing.
“Care Net does a lot of great stuff that needs to be recognized more in the community,” Chinn said.
“And this is what Walk for Life does. It helps people in the community to partner with an organization that has saved countless lives, and you really can’t put a price on that.”
Those who wish to participate or support Walk for Life can register online.
