PROUDLY PRO-LIFE AWARDS DINNER TO HONOR ARCHBISHOP RENATO MARTINO AND DR. JAMES C. DOBSON

By Dave Andrusko

On April 30, the National Right to Life Education Trust Fund will host the ninth annual Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner. Always a special night in which the Trust Fund honors leaders in the right to life movement, this year's two honorees are special friends of the unborn and the medically dependent.

General Chairman and Master of Ceremonies Ben Stein will lead attendees in celebrating the lifelong contributions of Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, and Dr. James C. Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family. Guests will pay their respects to these two great pro-life champions at a dinner to be held at the historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Born in Salerno, Italy, Archbishop Martino was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN in 1986. His experience and insight and staunch pro-life convictions have been invaluable in the struggle to keep the promotion of abortion out of UN documents.

Zealous pro-abortion advocates have sought to use the Cairo Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women, among others, as well as the current General Assembly's Special Session on Women to enshrine abortion as a worldwide "right." His work alongside that of non- governmental organizations such as National Right to Life has been instrumental.

Archbishop Martino has received honorary degrees from the governments of Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Argentina, Venezuela, and Lebanon.

Dr. James C. Dobson, Ph.D., is best known as the founder and president of Focus on the Family. Not only does Dr. Dobson appear on a daily radio program, he also finds time for a daily syndicated commentary on family issues which is aired on over 5,000 radio facilities in about 100 countries.

Married and the father of two, Dr. Dobson has served with distinction on numerous presidential and congressional commissions and panels. Trained in the field of child development, Dr. Dobson served for 14 years as an associate clinical professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine before beginning Focus on the Family.

The bestselling author of numerous books, Dr. Dobson's many awards include the 1996 Man of the Year Award given by the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Archbishop Martino and Dr. Dobson follow in a long line of distinguished recipients of the Trust Fund's Proudly Pro-Life Award. The illustrious list includes Mrs. Arthur DeMoss, John Cardinal O'Connor, Gov. Robert Casey, Congressman Henry Hyde, Senator Bob Smith, Congressman Christopher Smith and Congressman Charles Canady, Judge Robert Bork, Mr. Virgil Dechant of the Knights of Columbus, Senator Jesse Helms, Mr. Wellington Mara of the New York Football Giants, Mr. Thomas S. Monaghan, and Bishop James T. McHugh, Mr. Lawrence Garvey, and Fr. Frank Pavone.

The Trust Fund has also paid special tribute to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and President Ronald Reagan.

If you would like additional information about the Proudly Pro- Life Awards Dinner, or are interested in supporting or attending the dinner, please contact our development office at (202) 626- 8813. We hope to see you in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on April 30 as we join together as proudly pro-life.