Matt Birk, an All-Pro center and Super Bowl Champion with the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens, is making his way to St. Michael-Albertville High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, spreading his message of choosing life.
The program will also feature speaker and politician Tom Emmer in a non-campaign event – Emmer is running for U.S. Congress – as well as testimonials from several guests.
The event is offered by Cornerstone Women’s Center in St. Michael, a women’s counseling center and clinic that deals with reproductive health and services. Director Mary Ottman, who helped launch the clinic with several volunteers and benefactors nearly one year ago, said this event will help put the St. Michael center on the map.
“We had a board member reach out to Matt and he was very gracious about it,” Ottman said of the 2013 NFL Man of the Year. “All of our services are offered at no cost to women throughout the area, so to have a fundraiser like this, featuring someone of Matt’s stature, is essential to what we do.”
Birk, who is deeply Christian (he attended Cretin-Derham Hall) and the father of six kids, has penned a book titled “All Pro Wisdom: Seven Choices That Lead to Greatness.” That will be a portion of his presentation Thursday night. That commitment to pro-life decisions has caused him some controversy, however. When the 2013 Ravens attended a meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama, Birk respectfully declined, stating his pro-life convictions prevented him from the meeting. Obama is a Democrat, of course.
Thursday night’s event will be geared toward Options and its services. It is faith-based, Ottman said. Options, which is part of the Total Life Care organization based in St. Paul, will give information to pregnant woman on adoption, treatment and even full pregnancy care. It will not, however, share information about abortion beyond a link on its website.
“We give them the truth about what abortion entails,” she said.
The Cornerstone location features an ultrasound machine, a donation from the St. Michael Knights of Columbus, as well as several other area KofC groups.
“We felt we could compliment the services Wright County [Public Health] gave in this area, and there was a definite need here for that. I think our goal is to reach out to the area’s women in a life-affirming way, and to show them the different services they have, for free, right here in St. Michael,” Ottman said. “There is free, bona fide medical care and counseling available to women, not just pregnant women, right here. All they have to do is contact us and get started.”
Tickets for Thursday night’s presentation are available at Cornerstone Women’s Center (on Central Avenue, near Solutions Counseling and Zahler Photography), Coborn’s in Albertville, St. George’s Books in Blaine and St. Therese’s Books in Elk River.
More information can be found online at Cornerstone Options’ website, as well.
IF YOU GO
What: Matt Birk and Tom Emmer – Men with a Pro-life Mission
Where: St. Michael-Albertville High School
When: Doors open at 7 p.m., Program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19
More: There will be autographed books and footballs, desserts and beverages, and a pro-life game plan for all.