$466,014 Raised At Bowl-A-Thon To Help Poor Women Pay For Abortions

(CNSNews.com) – The third annual “National Abortion Access Bowl-a-Thon” was held throughout the month of April, with activists gathering at local bowling alleys to raise cash for “low-income and disadvantaged women who want an abortion and do not have enough money to pay for it.”

“Abortion funds from across the country are raising money to make reproductive rights a reality for women who can’t afford to pay for an abortion – and we want you to join us!” states the Web site for the event, which was sponsored by the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF).

“The Bowl-a-Thon is a nationwide series of local events that allow community members (you!) to captain your own bowling team, participate in a kickass national event – and raise money to help women and girls pay for abortions they couldn’t otherwise afford,” it says.

The organization encourages participation “[b]ecause you know that the legal right to abortion is meaningless if you can’t afford to pay for it.”

The organization’s goal, to raise $400,000 for abortion funds, was surpassed, with a total of $466,014 collected as of Monday. Thirty-two events were scheduled across the country during April.

For those keen to support the cause but unable to attend a local event, a “virtual bowl-a-thon” was offered.

The DC Abortion Fund, “which helps low-income women and girls fund their abortion care,” organized a variation on the theme – a “Hole-a-thon” held at a miniature golf course on April 29, aiming to raise $40,000 to pay for abortions.  Last year’s event raised $28,000.

“There will be beer. There will be games. There will be grassy knolls,” the Web site states.

“Abortion funds are local, grassroots groups that work tirelessly to help low-income and disadvantaged women who want an abortion and do not have enough money to pay for it,” the “bowl-a-thon” organizers said.  “Abortion funds help women pay for their abortions, help them buy bus or plane tickets, and even offer a place to stay for those who have to travel for an abortion.”

Local pro-abortion groups were encouraged to organize events where activists came together to bowl in teams.

“One of the best things about the Bowl-a-Thon is the brilliant names that people create for their teams!,” the site states.

Examples of team names include “A Bunch of Queer People,” “Bowling for our Future!,” “Plan Bees,” “The Abortioneers,” “The Dude Aborts,” and “Republican Buttocks.”

Some honor Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger – a eugenicist who sought the “elimination of the unfit” – choosing names like “Margaret Sanger's Ball Bangers,” and “The Dirty Sangers.”

Others took aims at conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, with team names including “If Only Limbaugh's Mom Used Birth Control,” “Rush Limballz (sucks),” and “Crush Limbaugh.”

The National Network of Abortion Funds, which sponsors the event, “works to make sure that all women and girls can get the abortions they seek,” according to its Web site.  The organization views the right to abortion as a “fundamental human right, essential for women’s equality, health, and dignity.”
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