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Dozens From W. Pa. Head To DC To Participate In March For Life

WASHINGTON (KDKA/AP) - Early Friday morning, before the sun rose, dozens of parishioners gathered for Mass at Saint Louise de Marillac in Upper Saint Clair. During the Mass, prayers were offered for those heading to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life - one of the largest pro-life events in the country.

"I've been involved in the pro-life struggle for a long time and it's very important to show up and speak out for those who can't speak out for themselves," said Seamus Maloney, a pro-life supporter.

About 60 people boarded a chartered bus from the church. Dozens more were traveling to Washington, from western Pennsylvania. The theme for this year's march is the power of one.

"I'm marching to attest that adoption is an option," said Rebecca Pettigrew, as she boarded the bus. "My husband is adopted. We're grateful to his mother for keeping him."

Mary Jane Jurofcik traveled with her daughter, Kelly High.

"God blessed me with five healthy children and my daughter Kelly here, cannot have children," said Jurofcik. "So we march that maybe someone will save their baby and maybe someday Kelly will have a baby."

"I believe that every life deserves a right to live, every human deserves a right," High, a pro-life supporter, said.

For the first time in years, abortion opponents will have all the political momentum when they hold their annual rally on the National Mall.

The March for Life is held each year to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. The group says Vice President Mike Pence will address Friday's rally. The group adds no president or vice president has ever spoken previously at the event, now in its 44th year.

One of President Donald Trump's top advisers, Kellyanne Conway, also is on the speakers' list.

Trump has signed an executive order banning U.S. aid to foreign groups that provide abortions. And Republicans in Congress are seeking to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood and to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

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(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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