Despite the sluggish economy, local residents showed up in droves to support the Pregnancy Resource Center at its Third Annual Banquet for Life on Thursday evening at the Havener Center on the campus of Missouri S&T.

The fundraiser brought in $63,000, or 35-percent more than last year’s banquet, which brought in $42,000, said Joseph X. Dalton, PRC executive director.

“It’s an amazing increase for a fractured economy,” Dalton said. “It has to be a ‘God’ thing.”

With a total of 448 attendees, the banquet was filled to capacity, and approximately two-dozen PRC supporters who wanted to participate were placed on a standby list for cancellations, and some were able to attend.

The PRC is a non-profit, pro-life organization that promotes alternatives to abortion for women facing unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. It sponsors a free clinic that officers counseling, ultrasound and parenting classes.

Master of Ceremonies Don Carney, co-founder and president of StoryTel Foundation, presented keynote speaker Dr. Ray Guarendi, a clinical psychologist, national radio host and author, who spoke of the gratitude he felt toward the mothers who made the unselfish choice to offer their babies for adoption to families who wanted them. Guarendi also is the father of 10 adopted children.

A video of a PRC client, Kelly, also was shown at the banquet. Kelly spoke about her decision to forego an abortion and have her baby after consulting with counselors at PRC.

“This girl has been through an awful lot, and, thankfully, she’s on the right track,” Dalton said after the banquet.

“We have so many clients of which we’re proud. This is just one of them.”

Among the attendees at the PRC banquet were State Rep. Dan Brown (R-District 149), Sen. Frank Barnitz (D-District 16), Phelps County Public Administrator Kathy Oliver, Rolla City Administrator John Butz and former State Rep. Bob May.

The Annual Banquet for Life is one of two fundraisers the center holds each year. The next fundraiser for PRC will be the Walk for Life, sometime in September.

More information about the Pregnancy Resource Center and the services it offers may be obtained from its Web site at prcrolla.com or by calling 368-5700.