What do a film director, a nationally syndicated columnist, and a country music star have in common? They’ve all volunteered their time to help Kentucky pregnancy care centers (PCCs).

In April, author and director, Frank Schaeffer, son of well known Christian cultural commentator Francis Schaffer, spoke at Marsha’s Place, a PCC in Henderson. Schaeffer told the crowd of 500 that life in all its stages and conditions must be respected. Having suffered from the crippling effects of polio from the age of 7, Schaeffer said that the society that judges human life by utilitarian terms is a dangerous one in which to live. "After the unborn, next in line are the weak, the old, and the mentally and physically disabled," he said.

But for Schaffer, the decision to help raise money for centers like Marsha’s Place was more than a philosophical one, it was also a personal matter. "When I was 17 I got my girlfriend pregnant," he said. "If I had listened to the culture, my daughter Jessica may have been aborted."

Jean Marie Parrott, the center’s director, said Schaffer’s message was one that needed to be heard. "Frank is known to be a bold, prophetic kind of speaker," she said. "He does not mince words." Parrott added that the banquet was one of the best for Marsha’s Place.

No stranger to family-friendly causes, Syndicated Columnist Cal Thomas was this year’s keynote speaker at April’s Kentucky Right to Life Banquet. He has also helped to raise funds for Marsha’s Place in recent years. Thomas praised the work of PCCs. "At a time when life has been devalued more than our retirement accounts, thousands of pregnancy help centers across the country are reaching out to women—and men—with a life-saving message," he said.

But Marsha’s Place isn’t the only PCC to host a well known personality this year. Earlier, Alpha Alternative, a PCC in Hopkinsville, hosted a benefit concert by one of Country Music’s top vocalists, Bryan White. White is known for Number One hits such as "Someone Else’s Star" and "Rebecca Lynn." In recent years, he has also won some of Country Music’s highest honors including the Country Music Association’s "Horizon Award" and CMT’s "Male Video Artist of the Year." But when White heard about the work of Alpha Alternative, he didn’t hesitate to make it his next gig.

White told the near sell-out crowd he was glad he visited the center before the concert. "It was great to see those willing, humble hearts there ready to serve anyone who walks through those doors," he said.

"We’re blessing people with something that comes so second-nature to us," he said of those who performed with him at the concert. "I see the need to be a louder voice to our country. How are people going to respond to the truth if they can’t hear about it?"

According to the Kentucky Center for Vital Statistics, since 1990, the number of abortions has gradually declined in Kentucky—from 9,590 in 1991 to just 4,800 in 2000. These numbers may well reflect the growing effectiveness of PCCs. These centers provide education, counseling, and support to women in a crisis pregnancy.

We are so thankful for people like Bryan who are willing to support our efforts to help families and save babies," said Kaye Munday, Alpha Alternative’s director. "We are entirely dependent upon the generosity of individuals who share the center’s concern," she said.

White lamented that it takes celebrities to draw people to benefits, but he also said, "I’m blessed that tonight I was the guy."