COVINGTON, Ky. (KT) – A mass of pro-life individuals filled the Newport Levee and marched across the Purple People Bridge on Sunday, June 4, in a display of solidarity for unborn life.
Karen Riegler, one of the event coordinators, said Cross the Bridge for Life got started in 2005 because pro-life coalitions from the greater Cincinnati area and northern Kentucky wanted to highlight local resources. And in bringing people together, the event allows pro-life Ohioans and Kentuckians to “stand for the sanctity of life.”
“We said at that time that we wanted to fill the Purple People Bridge with the joy of life,” Riegler said. “And so we’ve been doing that every year.”
Riegler said between 3,000 and 4,000 people participate each year—not only marching from Kentucky to Ohio and back, but enjoying live music, face painting and balloon animals, food, shaved ice and perusing the booths of sponsoring organizations.
On June 4, the throng of pro-life advocates began walking around 2:30 p.m., marching down the levee and crossing the Purple People Bridge.
“It’s always a fabulous event,” said Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. “People still care about these issues—this issue of life—and standing there for…the unborn, for their moms and for their families.”
Wuchner said her organization was proud to stand side-by-side with their sister organization, Cincinnati Right to Life—another sponsor of the walk.
“Our issues are different, but we’re fighting the battle together with the support of one another (and) with the support of everyone here.”
Gary Frodge said the main reason he attended the early June event was to support “the pro-life mission…country-wide not just here in Kentucky.”
“If you can’t defend the defenseless, then who are you going to defend? So it is important to me to speak out about that,” said Shelly, a friend of Frodge who declined to provide her last name.
“I work in a Catholic school, so it is part of our identity and part of our mission…to support causes like this,” said a teacher who attended the walk with her three children.
Her husband, who also wished to remain anonymous, added: “I’ve been Catholic my whole life, and this reflects what I believe.”
Cross the Bridge for Life 2023 was supported by over 30 local sponsors. Cross the Bridge for Life Coalition members include Kentucky-based pregnancy center New Hope Center, Kentucky Right to Life and Care Net Pregnancy Services of Northern Kentucky, among other Cincinnati and northern Kentucky pro-life organizations.
Friends of Life KY 