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OTTAWA, March 6, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The 2012 National March For Life is set to take place on Thursday, May 10 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. This year’s theme is “Abortion Hurts Everyone.”

Organizers are looking forward to breaking last year’s record attendance of 15,300 pro-life citizens from across Canada.

“We hope even more pro-life citizens, young and old, will come to demand legal protection for children who are still in the womb,” Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), the organizer of the event, states.

The main event is the actual march through the streets of Ottawa. The night before there will be a Candlelight Vigil, a spiritual and symbolic ceremony that will take place at the Human Rights monument, Elgin and Lisgar Streets, on May 9 at 9:00 pm.

This year CLC is providing an opportunity for those unable to attend the National March for Life to participate symbolically in the Candlelight Vigil.

“We are inviting you to send your pledge and encourage your family, friends, co-workers and faith community to join us in spirit. Candles will be placed at the Human Rights monument and will be lit on Wednesday, May 9th at dusk,” CLC explains. The Candlelight Vigil pledge form is on the 2012 March for Life promotional brochure available from CLC.

CLC has also this year produced an inspiring video with clips from the 2011 Ottawa March for Life that is ideal for presentations in classrooms and churches to fire up prospective participants.

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The Rose Dinner and Youth Banquet follow the March at 6:00 pm on Thursday.
This year Stephen Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute, will be the Rose Dinner keynote speaker. Mr. Mosher is an expert on China’s forced abortion policy and in debunking the overpopulation myth.

The Youth Banquet is a fun-filled event featuring world-renowned youth speakers, entertainment, games, prizes and much more, and is a perfect opportunity for young people to be encouraged to continue to fight for life.

The huge Pro-life Youth Conference takes place on Friday May 11th.

Students and young adults are encouraged to register and attend this full day pro-life youth conference to learn more about various pro-life issues and ways they can become more active in their hometowns in order to continue to spread the pro-life message.

The Knights of Columbus are again this year sponsoring buses to take pro-lifers to Ottawa for the National March for Life.

The Ontario Knights of Columbus passed a resolution in 2009 throwing their full support behind the March, and pledging to subsidize local and high school bus trips throughout the province.

“We must spill over into the streets of Ottawa with not 8,000 but 80,000,” the K of C resolution stated.

LifeSiteNews spoke with Grand Knight Ken Grubb of the Walkerton, Ontario, Knights of Columbus who said councils in his area will be sponsoring buses in Walkerton, Hanover, Kenilworth/Mount Forest, and Cargill/Chepstow to take pro-lifers to the March. Mr. Grubb remarked that a special bus for youth of the areas is also being considered.

Contact your local K of C council to find out if busses are sponsored in your area.

Last year the Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, proclaimed that the day of the National March for Life be honored as “Respect for Life Day” in the city. “The rights of the people of Canada including the unborn, the elderly and those with handicaps are gradually being eroded,” the proclamation signed by Watson read.

LifeSiteNews contacted the mayor’s office to find out if he would again declare “Respect for Life Day” in Ottawa for this year’s National March for Life, but did not receive a reply by press time. (Contact info for Mayor Jim Watson is available here.)

To order copies of the 2012 National March for Life promotional brochure to use as a handout in your school, church or prayer group, and which contains the Candlelight Vigil pledge form, contact Campaign Life Coalition Ottawa at 613-729-0379, or by email at [email protected]

Tickets for the Rose Dinner and the Youth Banquet/Dinner on May 10, and the Youth Conference, May 11, may be obtained by contacting your local Campaign Life Coalition office or by calling 800-730-5358 or 613-729-0379.

Tickets for the dinners and conference sell out quickly so organizers suggest ordering soon.

For more information visit the National March for Life website.