Posted on 18 April 2014 by La Habra Journal
By Chu-Ling Yee
La Habra Journal
Waking up early is not an easy task to do—especially on a Saturday morning. But these people did it to show their support and help.
More than 300 people woke up early this past Saturday, walking in the Walk4Life, a 2k and 4k walk, raising more than $5,000 for the La Habra Life Center.
Walking for life: Hundreds of people walked along La Habra Boulevard from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to the Children’s Museum last week to support the La Habra Life Center.
The center had hoped to raise $5,000 and with help from the community, they were able to raised more than that. “I had never expected it! People were kind and generous to support,” Mecki Grothues, La Habra Life Center’s director, said. Many who participated had donators who made contributions in exchange for them walking. The majority of the money came from pledges, but also from t-shirt sales. The proceeds will go towards the center. The center provides free counseling for pregnant women and offers baby supplies to anyone who needs them. The center offers diapers, milk formula and clothing for newborns up to five-year-olds, free of charge. Participants, including children, walked from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to the Children’s Museum for the 2K. Those who had wanted to continue and execute the 4K, traveled from the museum, made a right onto Lambert Road and another right onto Idaho Street, where they headed back to the church. Originally the walks were scheduled as two separate walks, but by combining the walks to start at the same time, there would be less traffic, according to Director Grothues. This would better accommodate the participants and the public’s safety was the main concern. Participants walked on sidewalks. Some came from as far as Dana Point. Mothers walked carrying their babies or used strollers. Crossing guards were placed at different locations to ensure safety. The guards helped coordinate the flow of pedestrian and automobile traffic. There were no injuries reported. There was minor traffic for drivers who had to wait for them to cross. A driver, who was part of the safety team, circled the path, following walkers to see if any needed assistance. Many who needed to be picked-up and brought back to the church were suffering from fatigue. “I’m deeply impressed by today’s response, particularly, the larger number of young people, ” Father Justin McCarthy of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church stated. Some went to support the center while some walked because of their support of pro-life. The center also provides women with resources and counseling regardless of their choice. The center would prefer women to keep their children but will not judge if a female decides to have an abortion or give the baby up. In the future, Director Grothues would like to expand the help center to become a fully operated medical clinic. Anyone who wishes to seek information about the pregnancy process or would like to talk with someone can enter through the back door for privacy. All counseling is confidential.
The center is open to anyone and is located at 579 W La Habra Blvd. (562) 691-9395, [email protected]