DOBSON — LifeLine Pregnancy Help Center had a great turnout for its annual Walk for Life Friday night at Fisher River Park in Dobson.

Brooke Worsley, director of the Mount Airy Center, was pleased with the turnout at this year’s event. She said 120 walkers signed up to do the half-mile walk that raises money for the center.

Kailyn Martin, who is 27 weeks along with a baby girl, said she came out to support the center that has helped her with her pregnancy.

“A lot of people told me I needed to have an abortion, but thanks to the help of the center, I know I made the right decision,” Martin said.

Amber Alford, who is 29 weeks along with a baby girl, came out to support the center, even though she hasn’t used the services there yet.

Worsely said the center is available not just to help young teen mothers, but to help everyone who finds themselves not knowing what to do if they are pregnant and are struggling to get by financially. She said services are available to both mothers and fathers for children up to 2 years of age. The LifeLine center helps with baby clothes, diapers, new mommy bags. The center also gives out Hope Bibles and is a faith-based ministry.

She said the center operates solely from donations it receives from churches, businesses and private donors.

Eighth-grader Beth Palmer raised $50 in one week to donate at the walk. This year was her third year participating in the walk.

Worsley gave a short speech to those in attendance at the walk.

“A just met with a woman who walked into our center seeking information about abortion. She thought that was her only answer. I met with her for about an hour. We both cried together and she left still thinking that abortion was her only answer. After she got home and kind of processed all of the information, she decided to keep her pregnancy,” Worsley said.

“The ultrasound showed that she had 8-week old twins that she was carrying. It’s amazing to see how LifeLine had worked in her life. Sadly, she has miscarried those twins. But the Lord used LifeLine in her life to encourage her to keep her pregnancy as well as encouraged her after she lost her babies. She came into the center and gave a donation in memory of those precious babies.”

Before the walkers hit the trail, 210 balloons were released for babies that were aborted in Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties in 2008.

For more information about the services provided at the LifeLine Pregnancy Help Centers, contact 783-0011, or visit www.lifelinehelps.org and www.caring-helps.org.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.