Pro-life supporters participate in national bridge event


Bolstered by drivers honking, Mary Hoffmeyer, left, and Claudia Galbraith wave to passing motorists heading into or through Jefferson City Friday morning. As part of Pro Life Bridges Day, members of 40 Days for Life and Pro-Life Action League hoisted banners that read "Abortion takes a human life" from the West Main Street overpass and waved during morning rush hour traffic. John and Cyndi Tandy were on the south side waving to northbound traffic while these two faced southbound traffic. The event was part of a national campaign to promote life on Pro-Life Action Day.
Bolstered by drivers honking, Mary Hoffmeyer, left, and Claudia Galbraith wave to passing motorists heading into or through Jefferson City Friday morning. As part of Pro Life Bridges Day, members of 40 Days for Life and Pro-Life Action League hoisted banners that read "Abortion takes a human life" from the West Main Street overpass and waved during morning rush hour traffic. John and Cyndi Tandy were on the south side waving to northbound traffic while these two faced southbound traffic. The event was part of a national campaign to promote life on Pro-Life Action Day.

Jefferson City was one of 50 cities to participate early Friday morning in a new national campaign intended to share an anti-abortion message with hundreds of thousands of drivers.

During National Pro-Life Bridges Day, pro-life volunteers stood atop the Main Street bridge over U.S. 54, holding banners that stated: Abortion takes a human life.

The group held banners facing each direction of traffic from about 6:55-9 a.m., according to Kathy Forck, a pro-life activist from New Bloomfield.

Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League organized the public outreach. In addition to Jefferson City, pro-life groups in San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Memphis and other cities participated in the event.

The league provided the banners, Forck said.

“We were contacted because we do a lot of things for the Pro-Life Action League,” she said. “We’re one of their constant supporters.”

Forck stood with others on the bridge, waving at drivers as they passed below. As part of the campaign, participants were asked to estimate how many vehicles passed under their banners by counting two 10-minute samples.

During the early sample, they counted 753 vehicles.

“We’re getting a lot of waves and honks,” Forck said.

The event was educational outreach, Claudia Galbraith, of Jefferson City, said.

“I’m here because I believe in the value and dignity of every human life,” she said. “We want to remind people in general that abortion takes a life of a human being.”

Cynthia and John Tandy, of Jefferson City, held up a banner facing northbound traffic passing under Main Street.

“I’m amazed at how many people wave,” John Tandy said. “It makes me feel good. I want to support unborn babies as much as I can.”