Life is worth standing up for.

So say the organizers of Alpena’s Life Chain, an annual event inviting area residents to get to their feet to show their support for mothers and unborn children.

The Life Chain event, in coordination with similar events held simultaneously all across the country, allows interested residents to join thousands of like-minded others in standing quietly along a well-traveled road, praying and serving as a silent sentinel for life.

At the event, to be held at the corner of State Street and Ripley Boulevard, individuals, families, and groups will stand roadside for an hour, not blocking businesses, holding signs to share their convictions with passing motorists.

Mike Cornelius, event coordinator for the past 20 years, sees the event as a way to show the community that life matters enough to move from apathy to action.

So often, Cornelius said, “nobody does anything, says anything, stands up and fights, prays. So we’re doing something.”

During the event, participants are encouraged to have a personal conversation with God, Cornelius said, praying for women considering abortion and for the safety of unborn children.

“We pray that mothers would understand how much God loves them and their babies,” Cornelius said.

Since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, there have been more than 60 million abortions in the United States, according to the National Right to Life Committee. The Life Chain event, Cornelius said, lets people show their concern about that number by “taking a public stand for life.”

Interested residents may meet at Bob’s Muffler for the event, to be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Children and lawn chairs are welcome, and signs will be provided.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.