An upcoming relay, which identifies as the largest spanning pro-life event in the world, promises to spread one central message: “REMEMBER The Unborn.”
“Everyone is qualified to participate in the ‘A-Cross America Relay for Pro-Life!,'” Patrick Castle, president and founder of LIFE Runners, which is organizing the event, told Our Sunday Visitor.
The 12th annual relay, which covers more than 5,000 miles, will take place from Sept. 6 to Oct. 19. The relay will form a cross over the United States, with pathways from the north, south, east and west converging in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas. People can participate nationwide and worldwide — in person or remotely — by running, walking, biking or even sitting in a public area. The only requirements are that they pray and wear a jersey reading “REMEMBER The Unborn.”
The event comes from LIFE Runners, a community of more than 23,700 teammates in more than 3,500 cities across 47 nations, which exists to “Prevent abortion by wearing a life-saving message” — or the message to “REMEMBER The Unborn.”
That message or “nudge of encouragement” saves lives, Castle emphasized.
The group cites a number shared by the Vitae Foundation’s Vitae Research Institute, an organization dedicated to pro-life evidence-based research, which states that “82% of women would’ve chosen life if just one person intervened.”
Each LIFE Runners teammate hopes to be that one person.
For his part, Castle wanted people to know that “every little sacrificial action has the potential to really save a little baby from abortion and save a mother and a father from abortion.”
Something as small as a tap of encouragement or a moment of prayer can be all that is needed “for a little baby to quite literally get a birthday,” he added.
Relaying the message
The four paths of the relay will launch from New York City, San Francisco, Fargo, North Dakota and Austin, Texas. From there, teammates will complete 5K legs (lasting 3.1 miles) and pause for prayer at locations where abortions are performed. Students from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, will complete the finishing legs.
To participate, pro-life people should sign up to join the LIFE Runners team, register for the relay, promise to pray the LIFE Runners creed before each leg and order a ‘”REMEMBER The Unborn” jersey.
“Even more than a running and walking team, we’re a messaging team,” Castle said. “We all wear our witness, as we like to say.”
Castle provided the promo code “LIFER” for readers to register for the relay for free.
When people register for a 5K leg, they can choose from four options: They can sign up to be on the course or pathway at the scheduled date and time; on course at a different date and time; off course at a different date and time; or simply wear their jersey in a public area where people can see it (with one hour translating to one mile).
The event boasts the support of several Catholic bishops, including Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, Bishop Joseph L. Coffey of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and Bishop John T. Folda of Fargo, North Dakota.
The listed sponsors include the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Avera Health, Benedictine College, Bott Radio, Cemcast, Choose Life Marketing, DDI Media, Diocese of Austin, Diocese of Fargo, EWTN, LifeSite, Midwest Advertising, Scheels, Straub Construction, Thomas More Society and Veronica’s Journey.
Impacting lives
Castle emphasized the difference their messaging makes: Babies are alive today because of it. With every jersey or jacket order, LIFE Runners includes a “ministry packet” of items with “REMEMBER The Unborn” messaging, from wristbands to bumper stickers. These and other items are also available for purchase online.
Castle told the story of how Father Michael Voithofer, who leads a ministry called Ablaze House of Prayer, put up one of LIFE Runners’ yard signs reading, “REMEMBER The Unborn.” A woman who was considering abortion spotted the message and later revealed to Father Voithofer that the sign made her pause.
Her baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome, she said, and her husband was also pressuring her to obtain an abortion.
“But when I saw the sign, all I could do when I read ‘REMEMBER The Unborn,’ was think of my child,” she said, according to Castle. “I spoke with God that I will not abort my child — your child, Lord.”
She returned a second time to tell the priest that her baby had been born without Down syndrome — even though she would have been grateful for her child regardless.
Evolving through the years
When the relay began in 2013, it went from the West Coast to Kansas City and from the East Coast to Kansas City, Castle said. A few years later, they added the north and south arms to create a cross.
The timing has also changed through the years. For the first few years, he said, the relay took place during Lent. Around five years ago, they moved it to the summer so that people wouldn’t feel the need to wear jackets, which cover up the messaging on the jerseys, because of the cold. Last year, they moved it to the fall so that they could include their greatest growing demographic: students.
“We now have over 10,000 students, kindergarten to college, wearing a ‘REMEMBER The Unborn’ shirt to school on the first Wednesday of every month, in unison with all LIFE Runners around the world,” Castle said.
Changing this year
This year comes with its own changes, Castle said, including location changes to provide a better public witness.
They moved the launch of the west arm from the Golden Gate Bridge to the San Francisco Planned Parenthood. The south arm launch moved from the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas, to Austin, across the street from the University of Texas at Austin. They moved the north arm from St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo.
Castle called these changes strategic not only for prayer and witness but also for impacting hearts and minds and, ultimately, saving lives.
