Fish fry funds First Choice

Nearly a thousand supporters attended the annual fish fry and auction to benefit First Choice Pregnancy Counseling Center at Walnut Ridge Farms Saturday, according to organizers.

"It went great," said Pam Cooper, co-director of the center, on Monday. "We were very pleased (with the turnout) and very thankful for the weather. It was beautiful and we think everyone had a good time."

The center provides free pregnancy tests and counseling, encouraging expectant mothers to choose life -- either to keep the baby or put it up for adoption. That is the first choice for which the center is named.

"Choose life," Cooper said.

Family event

Because the center focuses on family, the fish fry was intended to be a family-oriented event.

"We were looking to have just good clean fun, and that's what it turned out to be," Cooper said. "Nobody was hurt or injured -- it was just a great day and we're very thankful for it."

There were plenty of activities for children, including a zip line, an inflatable bouncy house, face painting, a petting zoo, and a bubble world.

There was also tons of food, with fried catfish, grilled chicken and pork barbecue being the main dishes, with all the side dishes and desserts.

"We're very grateful for the cooks and we had a lot of compliments about the food," Cooper said.

Funds raised

Last year, the event tallied about $34,000, she said, and the center's staff hopes the figures will be comparable this year once everything is tallied.

"I know that just on (Saturday) we raised about $7,000, but that doesn't include our sponsorships and our pre-ticket sales," she said.

"We're hoping, but a lot of the donors were not able to give this year because of the financial situation.

"We just take it from year to year and we're thankful for what we get. We're just praying we come to the same amount that we did last year."

Other services

"What we try to do is just help the community by ministering to the families and their children and just try to set a good example for others," Cooper said.

In addition to testing and counseling, the center also gives parenting classes, which expectant parents can attend in order to get Baby Bucks that can be exchanged in the center's Baby Closet for maternity clothes and baby items.

The center also teaches abstinence/character education beginning in sixth through tenth grades.

"We're in every junior high school and high school in the county," Cooper said.

Post-abortion classes are also provided by the center to help emotionally heal those who have had an abortion.

"They're dealing with the trauma of abortion," Cooper said.

Funding needed

Two years ago, ultrasound equipment was donated to the center, but because of the tight budget, it has not yet been able to be used.

"We've got the ultrasound equipment; we just don't have the funds to operate it," Cooper said.

"The equipment would be used to verify that a person is pregnant, and show that the fetus is a human being ... we would just use it to show that life is there."

And that means hiring an extra paid position who is qualified to operate the ultrasound equipment, and money to keep it going.

"And we're in financial stress right now just keeping the center open," she said. "We just need people to remember us in their prayers and in their giving, too."

What you can do

For more information on First Choice Pregnancy Counseling Center, or to make a donation, call 680-0066.