ATTEND NRLC 2002 IN PITTSBURGH

ATTEND NRLC 2002
IN PITTSBURGH, PA

Do you want to make a difference as a pro-lifer? Get started for the first time? Or get re-energized? Meet old friends again? Then it's time to make plans to attend the National Right to Life Convention 2002.

WHERE, WHEN, & WHAT

* The 30th Annual National Right to Life Convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. The hotel has a direct connection to the Pittsburgh, PA, International Airport. Hence you do not need to worry about transportation between the airport and the hotel. Our local host will be the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation.

* NRLC 2002 starts with a general session at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 27 and ends with the popular closing banquet on Saturday evening, June 29.

* The convention is preceded by the Annual Meeting of the Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change on Wednesday, June 26 (8-10 p.m., in the convention hotel). The meeting is open to registrants for NRLC 2002. Presentations will be made on the following topics: Prenatal Care and Birth Services for Uninsured Poor Pregnant Women (Lawrence D. Jacobs); Perinatal Hospice: Madigan Army Hospital (Byron C. Calhoun, MD, President, Am. Assoc. of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists); Effectiveness of Ultrasound in Pregnancy Decision-Making (Eric Keroack, MD); and Personality Characteristics of Adolescents Which Increase the Risk of Abortion (Wanda Franz, PhD, President, NRLC). After the talks you can meet the presenters and enjoy refreshments.

* Concurrently with NRLC 2002 runs YO!, the Youth Outreach convention for pro-life teens and college students. This special convention shares several sessions with NRLC 2002. During the convention, the National Right to Life Oratory Contest for teens will be held. The winners of this popular competition will be announced during the Closing Banquet of NRLC 2002.

* Prominent speakers include Cal Thomas (Closing Banquet, 8 p.m., June 29); Msgr. James Lisante (Prayer Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., June 28); and Mary Jane Owen (featured in the General Session on Medical Ethics, 10 a.m., June 28).

* Over 70 workshops will offer up-to- date information, ranging from the "basics" for the beginning right-to-life activist to up-to-date accounts of the status of pro-life legislative and legal action for the seasoned pro-life veteran. Among the topics are: Science without Humanity: Human Embryo Farms (Douglas Johnson); The Viability of Fetal Pain Legislation (Teresa Collett, JD); Science Strikes Back: Exploring the Abortion-Breast Cancer Connection (Joel Brind, PhD); An Update and Discussion on RU486 (Randall O'Bannon, PhD); What Do 40 Million Lost Lives Mean? The Economic Impact of Abortion (Laura Antkowiak); Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood--The Eugenics Connection (Angela Franks); Useful Tools in the Battle of Abortion and Planned Parenthood (Laura Antkowiak); A Window on the Womb: Diary of the Living Unborn Baby (Shari Richard); To Tell the Truth--Overcoming the Fear and Other Obstacles to Effective Pro-Life Public Speaking (David Bunnell); When They Say You Say (Mary Balch, JD, & Olivia Gans); The Church, the Media, and the State (Fr. Frank Pavone, Ernest Ohlhoff, and Laura Echevarria); We Are the Sheep Where Are the Shepherds? (NPRC Panel); Untangling the Web: Making the Most of Your Internet Presence (Steven Ertelt & Sally Winn); Positive Impressions: Establishing, Building, and Improving Communication Skills with the Press (Laura Echevarria); Real Alternatives and Women in Need: The Pennsylvania State-Funded " Alternative to Abortion" Plan (Kevin Bagatta); Through the Looking Glass--The Land Beyond Abortion (Vera Faith Lord); Post- Abortion Syndrome: Thirty Years and Counting (Karen Cross & Olivia Gans); Chapters and Money Management: Raising Funds (Michele & Kevin Allen); and A Foundation for Your Chapter Activities (Rose Mimms & Holly Miller).

WHAT DOES IT COST?

The registration fee is only $95 if you register before May 31. After that it costs you $115; so it pays to register right now. Married couples can register for $125, and senior citizens for $60. These registrations include the workshops and the general sessions. If you only can attend for one day, the registration fee is $40. Fill out the registration form (one for each person; copy it if you need more than one form) in this issue of NRL News to take advantage of the early-registration rate. For more convention information call (202) 626-8800, ext. 142 today.

The registration fee for college students and teens is $25. They have special workshops and, on Saturday evening, a "Pizza Dance."

The registration fee for clergy is $60; it includes a complimentary ticket for the Prayer Breakfast.

Tickets to the Prayer Breakfast are $15 for convention registrants and $25 for non-registrants. Tickets to Saturday's Closing Banquet are $35 for convention registrants and $50 for non-registrants.

Hotel rooms at a special rate for NRLC 2002 registrants can be reserved until May 24. Please call the hotel's reservation desk at (724) 899-1234 to make reservations. Make sure to request the special NRLC 2002 room rate of $124. Up to four persons may stay in a room.

Child care during convention hours is $30. For children up to 3 years old there will be snacks and in-hotel activities. For children age 4-7 years and 8-12 years there will be lunch and snacks, and field trips.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T COME

If you can't come, you can do three things to make NRLC 2002 a success: (1) Become a Patron for Life by making a donation to NRLC 2002, 512 10th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20004. The donation is not tax-deductible because we also deal with legislative matters at this convention. You do, however, get listed in the roster of Patrons for Life that we publish in the NRLC 2002 Yearbook. To make the published roster you need to send us your contribution within the next couple of weeks or so.

(2) Tell other pro-lifers about NRLC 2002, the most important yearly convention in the right-to-life movement.

(3) Sponsor a friend, a youth group, a student, a chapter member or leader, a pastor, or a journalist to attend the convention. The convention has an amazing effect on newcomers to the pro-life movement. And you can make it happen.