The Hike for Life is a 3 mile Hike to promote a culture of life and to raise funds for Women’s’ Crisis Pregnancy Centers. The event is supported by the Knights of Columbus and makes a positive impact on students both in team building and active awareness of right to life issues. The Hike for Life will be held again on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at John Paul II High School in Plano and we would like to ask you, your youth and young adults, church, friends and family to join us for this important event. The opening speaker at the Hike will be Father Alfonse Nazzaro Parochial Vicar at St. Monica Church-Dallas and as usual there will also be music, free hot dogs, door prizes and information from Youth for Life and the Catholic Pro Life Committee (CPLC). The Hike will be held at over 12 Dallas sites from September thru October. Registration: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Opening Presentation: 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Hike Begins: 9:00 am
Refreshments/Exhibits 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Exhibits and information: White Rose Women’s Center, Birth Choice, CPLC (Catholic Pro Life Committee); Youth for Life and others. Register on line and make a donation at: www.hikeforlifetexas.com
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*The Hike has been going on in one form or another since 1973. Its mission is to raise funds for crisis pregnancy centers in Texas. It seeks to raise awareness of the suffering that surrounds us, and it provides people with the means to help a lot of people and innocent lives. We are proud to say that we are Texas’ oldest Pro Life event !!!! Back in the 70's it was a Knights of Columbus Council event having been started by a group of Knights in Garland who were tired of hearing all the positive attention that legalized abortion was getting in the media. They decided to have a mass rally to show that not everyone was happy with abortion, that it is evil and kills innocent lives. In 1985 Hike for Life, Inc. This non-profit organization was given control over the Hike so that anyone donating to the Hike could use it as a tax deduction, and so that people who were not Knights could assist in the running of it. The original Hike was a single event site around White Rock Lake in Dallas. It was moved to Garland’s Audubon Park in the mid ‘90’s. In 2003 a new Board of Directors was formed to come up with new ideas and a fresh approach to appeal to a new set of Hikers. Bike Marshals were added to give Hikers quick access to assistance if problems were to arise, additional sponsors were sought after to help “grow the Hike”, and Hikers were treated to a new t-shirt design each year. Since 2003 several Hikes have been added around the Dallas area with Hikes now in Garland, Waxahachie, McKinney, Irving, Plano, Richardson, and the return to White Rock Lake in 2009. Also in 2009 the Hike branched outside of the Dallas Diocese for the first time with a Hike in College Station, Texas. This was a trial Hike to see if it could be replicated and to see what issues would arise. The College Station Hike, although small in numbers, gained $2,000 for the Good Samaritan Crisis Center. Plans continue to be formulated for an even more successful Hike in College Station in 2010. In early 2010 another first was relized for the Hike as we branched into the Fort Worth Diocese with a Hike in Weatherford. In January of 2010 the Weatherford Hike took place netting $7,000 for Grace House Ministries, a Crisis Center in Weatherford. In October 2010 we will host a Hike in Denton with those funds going to assist the Loreto House. The 2010 Hike will have yet another first as there will be a Hike in Oak Cliff. This will be our first Spanish Speaking Hike as we reach out to the Hispanic Pro Life community. Money collected as a result of the various Hikes will go to serve the area Crisis Pregnancy Center where the Hike is held. All of the Dallas area Hikes will assist at least the following Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC): White Rose, Birth Choice, Hope (McKinney). If you are a Director of a CPC in the Dallas area needing assistance please contact tomc@hikeforlifetexas.org to discuss the possibilities of the Hike assisting you. As with many fundraisers the Hike has seen its ups and downs. In 1999 the funds raised by the Hike were less than $4000, a far cry from the $30,000 days in the mid ‘80’s. The last Hike held (2009) brought in over $80,000. This is mostly due to an increase in Knights involvement, and new marketing strategies. A group of Knights in Colorado might cause this little local Hike to become a National Hike… they are interested in having a Hike for Life in their area to help a local crisis center… this is just what we are all about… people who care about life, and wish to lend a hand to see that life gets a chance. I’ll keep you posted on our progress with growing the Hike beyond Texas. As the Hike moves further into the new millennium the need for the Hike has increased. Too many people feel that abortion is okay; after all if you have been born since 1973 it has always been the law of the land. By providing monetary and prayerful resources, and increased awareness, the Hike is able to help Crisis Pregnancy Centers do their job a little better! You can help bring innocent lives into this world of ours… please pray for the success of the Hike and it’s benefactors. Please consider volunteering your time and come to the Hike… please bring a friend. Together we can make a difference, together we can touch and save many lives! Please be a part of the Hike for Life in your community. If there isn’t a Hike near you and you feel the Holy Spirit is calling you to change this please contact me and we can discuss the possibilities of bringing the Hike for Life to your part of the world. God’s blessing,
Tom Clark
President of the Board
Hike for Life
tomc@hikeforlifetexas.org
