Nearly seventy local teens, youth ministers, and parents attended Grand Rapids Right to Life’s annual youth rally, LifeFest, held on Sunday, March 22 at The Edge Urban Fellowship.
The evening’s keynote speaker was Travon Clifton of Save the 1, an organization that works to promote the dignity of all preborn life without exceptions.
Clifton shared her personal story of learning she had been conceived in rape and the struggle she faced to overcome her feelings of worthlessness. She also discussed the importance of supporting women pregnant from rape, stating that abortion does not make someone “unpregnant” or “unraped,” but adds to the violence and trauma already present.
After sharing her story, Clifton opened the floor for questions. Many of the teens asked her about how to talk to friends who had been raped or how to address the arguments of those who feel abortion in the case of rape is acceptable. Clifton emphasized a message of compassion, love, and support for both mothers and their unborn children.
The evening also included a screening of a short prolife film, Mitosis, which invited the audience to consider what the world has lost to abortion. Erin Karlovich, student coordinator, educated the crowd on some basic facts about abortion, but also talked about the great hope there is in the “prolife generation” of young people.
“Our pro-abortion opponents are terrified of you,” Karlovich shared, “because they know that without you, they have lost.”
Attendees also enjoyed free giveaways, a prize drawing, and information on how to become more actively involved in the prolife movement.
Photos from the LifeFest Youth Rally can be viewed on the Grand Rapids Right to Life Flickr page.