Based in Minneapolis, Minn, the ProLife Across America organization is known as the “billboard people.” Their mission statement: "Since 1989 PROLIFE Across AMERICA's Media Mission is to reach out through Billboard, TV, radio and newspaper ads to people who may not be reached in any other way. Our ads create an 'Atmosphere of Life' in a 'culture of death.' Totally educational, (non-profit and non-political), PROLIFE Across AMERICA is committed to bringing positive, persuasive messages offering information and alternatives - including adoption - and post abortion assistance to those in need. All ads feature our 800# Hotline for Help.”
NPT spoke to Mary Ann Kuharski, director of PLAA, about the origin of the organization and how it targets certain markets.
How long have you been around?
We started as a Minneapolis-based organization 20 years ago, but we went nationwide as the demand was there. We had to change our name to ProLife Across America.
We are non-political totally educational organization. We have billboards in 41 states annually. It depends on the area or the donor. I take no salary.
How do you purchase billboards in a specific market and do you base it on birth rates to teenagers or the amount of abortions in a market?
Donors send us checks and we use that money to buy billboards. Donors from Alaska know we will not be in their state, as they don’t have billboards, so their money goes to another market, like El Paso.
Are your billboards effective?
It’s amazing what the billboards can do. We’ve had people change their minds on their way to go to get an abortion. One woman pulled over to the side of the road and cried. She was on her way to a clinic to get an abortion and saw our billboard “Did you know I have fingerprints at nine weeks?”
How many billboards do you have in El Paso?
We have 10 billboards and several perms, all of them went up in November 2008 and we won’t be renewing our contracts. El Paso donations are low because people are panicked about the economy.
