PRC to Hold Annual Fund

Raising Dinner October 16

By Jim Day

Attending the annual Pregnancy Resource Center's (PRC) fund raising dinner and auction is one of the hightlights of the year for the pro-life community in St. Louis. And, this year's dinner will be no exception. This year's banquet will be held at Kemoll's Restaurant on the 42nd floor of the Metropolitan Life Building on October 16th from 6 to 9:30 p.m. At press time, confirmation from the guest speaker had not been received so those attending will have to read next month's MetroVoice to find out who it will be. (Guaranteed, it will be someone very special.)

Kemoll's, a north side landmark for years, opened their 42nd floor state of the art banquet facility at #1 Metropolitan Square this past April. With floor to ceiling windows that face east and west, those who will be attending the fund raiser will be treated to a breath-taking view of St. Louis as well as an incredible gourmet dinner served by one of the top award winning restaurants in the city.

The dinning experience however is not the primary focus of the banquet. Saving the lives of unborn children, educating students on the dangers of premarital sex and encouraging them to abstain before marriage, offering assistance to women in crisis pregnancy situations and ministering to women and/or couples who have suffered the traumatic loss of a child -- all done in the name of Jesus -- is what this banquet is all about. And, the bottom line to providing all of these services is the fact that just like running your own household, it takes money to pay the bills.

Donations, pledges, table sponsorships, the silent auction, and program advertisements will all contribute toward this year's PRC goal of raising $100,000 needed to help support PRC's eight Well Women℠ Centers and various programs throughout the St. Louis metro area. On a fiscal note, the $100,000 goal of this year's banquet is actually less than 10 percent of the annual budgetary requirements of the PRC's for them to provide the services mentioned above.

PRC's Well Women℠ Centers provide completely free and confidential services including: ultrasounds; pregnancy testing; on-site counseling; referrals; 24-hour counseling and information hot lines (1-877-PREGNANT); maternity and baby care products; parenting and sex education classes, plus other services for women of all ages who are at different stages of pregnancy and/or pregnancy loss. Two very special outreaches that must also be supported are PRC's Best Choice℠ Sexual Integrity Education program and the Pregnancy Loss℠ program. Best Choice℠ is an awesome abstinence based curriculum that is presented in public and private schools and to church youth groups throughout the St. Louis area. The Pregnancy Loss℠ program ministers to parents who have lost children through an untimely death or an abortion.

Unlike a ministry which might hold a one day event designed to reach out with the Gospel in hopes that someone listening will come to Christ, the staff and volunteers of the PRC's are on the front lines day-in and day-out with their hands on ministry in a one-on-one fashion. As the PRC slogan reads, they're providing “Real Help. Real Answers” and, I might add, “Right Now.”

Over the past 20 years since the PRC was first started, this ministry has impacted thousands upon thousands of lives for Christ and saved an unknown number of children from abortion. The newly opened Central West End Center at 4331 Lindell, which is just three blocks from the Planned Parenthood abortuary, is strategically placed to potentially save the lives of at least 1,000 babies this year alone. The success of the October 16th banquet will enable the PRC's to continue to offer love, compassion, hope, and truth to more than 500 pregnant teenagers, women, and men who turn to them each month.

To make your reservation to attend the October PRC banquet, obtain information regarding table sponsorship, provide a tax-deductible contribution to the work of the PRC's contact Donna Busby by phone at (314) 783-3040, extension 228 or e-mail her at DonnaBusby@prcmo.net.