Contact:  Stan Devereux, 916-825-0572; Steve Wharton, 916-612-5072; both for Walk for Life West Coast

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- About 20,000 people are expected to participate in Saturday's Third Annual Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco.  In the past, Pro-Life supporters were typically viewed as older, white and conservative.  The Walk for Life West Coast demonstrates that the Pro-Life movement is becoming younger and more diverse.

Last year, more than 15,000 families, friends and students attended the 'walk' to celebrate women and to celebrate life.  This year, organizers and law enforcement are preparing for a larger turnout.

"The Walk for Life West Coast is a growing movement that is attracting national attention, especially among young people," said Dolores Meehan, co-founder of Walk for Life West Coast. "Clearly, the pro-life movement is quite alive in California."

As in previous years, a number of well-known Pro-woman/Pro-Life advocates will speak before the 'walk.'  Speakers include: Pastor Clenard Childress, Jr., Regional Director of the Life Education And Resource Network (LEARN);  Carol Crossed, Democrats for Life; Vera Lord, Through the Looking Glass;  Talitha Phillips, Silent No More Awareness Campaign;  Alfredo Abarca, San Francisco Activist for Life and Family; and Father Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life. 

This year's Walk for Life occurs 2 days before the 34 anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. 

"Walk for Life's primary goal is to reach out to women and men of all political persuasions with the message that abortion hurts all women," said Eva Muntean Walk for Life co-founder. "Why San Francisco? We live here.  This is our home."

It is also the congressional district represented by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  Organizers of the Walk for Life West Coast requested a meeting this week with their member of Congress, which was ignored by Pelosi and her staff. 

"Pelosi is the nation's highest-ranking woman ever in the history of the United States and has a greater responsibility to serve as a role model for all women in America, not just in San Francisco.  Speaker Pelosi must not ignore Pro-Life women.  We share the same Catholic faith and we hope as Speaker, Pelosi will bring a broader perspective to women's' issues," Meehan said.

The 'walk' begins with a rally at Justin Herman Plaza and proceeds along the San Francisco Waterfront to the Marina Green. 

The event again includes an info fair with information about pregnancy resources and post-abortion counseling. 

"For too long, San Francisco has been co-opted by the abortion industry," said Meehan. "With over 30 million women reported as having had abortions performed on them, it stands to reason that city that leads the nations in abortions, also leads the nation in women and men who have been hurt by abortion.  The purpose of the Walk for Life is to reach these men and women with a message of hope and healing."