Life Chain event draws 61 participants here

A total of 61 people took part in the annual Alleghany Life Chain event that was held Sunday on Main Street in Sparta.

The event began at 2:30 p.m. and ended about 3:30 p.m. Marie Carlson of Ennice, chairman of Alleghany County Right to Life, who organized the event, said participants came from all over Alleghany County, as well as some areas in Virginia. “We had some participants from a church in Wytheville, Va. who came over to take part because they do not have this event in their area,” Carlson noted. “One of their church members lives in Sparta.”

This is Carlson’s first year organizing the event. In past years, Mary Sue Boyette of Glade Valley, another right to life member, has served as organizer.

Carlson said the group was very pleased with the increased turnout. “We doubled our turnout from last year,” Carlson said. This year, participants in the chain started at the parking lot of the Sparta First Baptist Church and then fanned out in either direction, reaching up Main Street near the former Smithey’s location and as far as the old Cash and Carry building in the other direction. In most prior years, the chain has only reached as far north on the sidewalk as the Sparta Presbyterian Church.

Carlson said the event is focused on three main ideals.

“The whole idea is threefold: The first and foremost it is a prayer vigil, and during that time people were asked to pray for the parents who have to make this decision, the children, pray for the conversion of the participants in the abortion industry, legislators and our clergy that they may bring the awareness of the issue to their congregations,” Carlson said. “The second is the fact that this event serves as an awareness vigil. We are trying to make people aware that there is child involved in the process, with a beating heart at 21 days, even before the mother knows she is pregnant. The beating heart really separates the child from the mother’s body. We want people to know that the mother, the father, or anyone involved in an abortion pro Clarence Priser was one of the many who took part in this year’s event on Main Street.

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