Kansans for Life once again proved why their “Valentine” Banquet in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park is such a hit. This year's banquet, held Feb. 10th drew over 1,000 people. The featured speaker was photographer Michael Clancy, who took the world famous photo of "Baby Samuel" reaching from the womb and grasping the doctor's finger during inter uterine surgery done to correct his spina bifida.

Michael Clancy, who took the world famous photo of "Baby Samuel" reaching from the womb and grasping the doctor's finger during inter uterine surgery done to correct his spina bifida, spoke at a Kansas for Life Pro-Life Banquet which attracted over 1,000 people.

Clancy began his personal testimony, including details of his difficult childhood, by explaining that he is not a polished speaker, and ended with people on their feet heartily disagreeing with that assessment. Although Kansas Governor Sam Brownback could not attend, he was there on screen when Clancy showed video of Congressional hearings featuring an exchange between Brownback and "Baby Samuel" when he was age 6.

Dove award winning singer Jaime Thietten generated chills with her unique rendition of Ave Maria and her beautifully quiet "Love's Work is Never Done."

Highlights included a video, which is made originally for the banquet each year, featuring footage of the Kansas contingent at the national Rally preceding the March for Life. The video featured the Kansas kids reaction to the fact that Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann performed the opening prayer at the national rally. Naumann did the same at the banquet itself.

This year's annual Rose Rielly award (given in honor of a local pro-life college student activist who died in the prime of her life) was given to Danni Boatwright Wiegman, who is married to Casey Wiegman, who plays center for the Kansas City Chiefs professional football team. Danni was Miss Kansas in 1996 and won first place in the CBS show Survivor in 2005.

Headliners for the banquet in previous years have included Lila Rose, Wesley J. Smith, Dr. Alveda King, Dr. David Prentice, Fr. Frank Pavone, and Steven Mosher.