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| from January 16, 2005 Catholic Charities Hits Goal Before End of 2004 Saint John's Edmond Breaks Ground on Renovation Oklahoma Teen Ready
to March for Life Samantha K. Bugos, who with her family attends Saint Benedict Church in Shawnee, has been selected as one of the winners in the annual March For Life Essay Contest. For her winning entry, Samantha will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. where she will participate in the 32nd Annual March for Life. The March for Life is held each year to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion on demand. The March for Life Education and Defense Fund has set up the annual contest to encourage both junior high and high school students to begin their work for protecting life. A different pro-life theme is selected every year for the students. There are three categories: essay, poster, or poem and a student may do one or all. The prize for the winner of each category (there are six) is an all expense paid trip to the March, the pro-life convention the day before, a banquet, all with the accompaniment of one parent. The winners also receive $100 and $100 goes to his/her chosen charity. On January 22nd, 1974, the first March for Life was held on the West Steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Headed by Nellie Gray, it was organized by a group of about 30 pro-life men and women who volunteered their time, money, and hearts. In that first year alone 20,000 gathered for the peaceful march around the Capitol building. After this, the MARCH FOR LIFE became a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting life from conception to natural death. “Let me tell you, it is truly an awesome experience and a privilege to participate in the March,” said Samantha. “Although we do gather to commemorate a very sad historical event, it is beautiful to see 200,000 people from various races and religions come together out of love for the 45,000,000 lost children and the endangered little hearts beating now inside the mother’s womb. It does give you hope for the future of America.” This will actually be Samantha’s second trip to the March For Life and it’s the third for her family. “I have been lucky to be selected twice for winner of the essay division and one of my older sisters, Katherine, was selected in 2002 for her essay,” she said. “I am currently preparing for the trip to D.C. with my father and a sister, to participate in the 31st annual March. The March this year is on a Monday, the 24th, so it will not conflict with the Jewish Sabbath day, for there is a good percentage of pro-life Jews that participate every year. “For me, participating in the contest is my way of standing up for life at this stage in my life. It is my way of beginning to fight against abortion, euthanasia, and anything desecrating the rights of God’s children. It has helped me to research into the truth, and to continue to want to discover more. Doing pro-life activities is helping me to recognize the sanctity of every individual person more and more every day. Through writing, I have become more accountable for what I say and do, and it has challenged me to think on things not thought about enough.” Samantha is one of nine children. The family moved to Oklahoma from Oregon one year ago. “I thank my Mom and Dad for raising me pro-life, encouraging me in these efforts, and, more than anything, for being excellent role models,” Samantha said. “They just had my eighth sibling this October, a beautiful little brother, John Paul. They have home-schooled all nine of us children, which I personally am very grateful for. I am 14 and fall as the fifth child, which must be the perfect spot.” Samantha said she has chosen Project Gabriel in Shawnee to receive the $100 she won in the contest. “I really would encourage more and more young people to get involved in discovering the beauty of life, whichever way they can. Participating in the annual contest is a good way to start. The contest theme is put on the web site every year around October or November, with all the rules. The web-site also has much info on it as does Fr. Frank Pravone’s Priests for Life site,www.priestsforlife.org. EWTN, a Catholic TV network on Dish Satellite, broadcasts the entire event, with interviews, the morning of the March. It is worth watching.” To lean more about the March for Life go to www.MarchforLife.org. |
