Saturday morning nearly 100 participants joined in the 11th annual Selma-Dallas County Sav-A-Life Walk for Life. And while event organizers are still working on figuring out donation totals, Jennifer Dobbs, director of Sav-A-Life in Selma said the event brought in more than $7,500 between donation pledges what was collected Saturday.

The walk started at First Baptist Church of Selma and made its way through Old Town with a stop through the crisis pregnancy center on Union Street.

“They got to tour the center and see what all we do,” Dobbs said, which includes free pregnancy testing, free parenting classes and counseling and even free baby supplies to support new mothers who aren’t sure how to make it on their own.

The fundraiser, Dobbs said, is meant to support the center, “because we don’t get enough for the finances, monthly, to sustain the ministry.”

“It’s just a really good thing to come and stand for life in our community,” she said. “We walk through Old Town and through the area, and you never know if there might be somebody feeling hopeless and feeling like their only option is to have an abortion. And to see people who are standing for life, I think gives them that opportunity to know that they’re not alone.”

Dobbs said the location for the two-mile walk was a conscious decision and meant to be way for the community to visibly notice the Walk for Life.

“That’s a big part of being visible in our community. It’s letting people know when they’re facing crisis pregnancies that they don’t have to do this by themselves, and that we are there,” she said. “It’s just a tangible thing for them to be able to hold on to.”

The local ministry is one that has continued to grow, and Dobbs said she hopes to add more services in the future, including offering ultrasounds, if their budget allows.

“Last year we saw 141 women for the pregnancy testing. Each year we’re increasing in our numbers,” she said. “Seventeen of those admitted to being abortion minded. They don’t always admit it, but 17 of those [women] did admit it, and 14 changed their mind after counseling. That means that there are 14 more lives that will be added to our community.”

Dobbs said that for her, the walk and the crisis pregnancy ministry is personal.

“Personally, it means a lot to me because going through a crisis pregnancy myself when I was younger — I wish I would have had something like Sav-A-Life here to be able to help me sort through my options and being able to choose life,” she said. “We want to help people who feel like they have no hope.”

For more information about the Selma-Dallas County Sav-A-Life crisis pregnancy center, call 334-875-8900.