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Six Christian rock bands. All live. All free.
The Pro-Life Music Festival 2001 will be May 20 at Central Park, Warsaw, from 1 to 8 p.m. In case of rain, the festival will be held at Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake.
National Christian bands Bleach, Not The Joneses and Sammy Ward will perform along with regional Christian bands Purifire, Emissary and Obession.
"Even though people may not be familiar with these bands, they'll really enjoy them," said event organizer Martt Clupper.
This is the third year for the festival but the first time the event has been free to the public.
"God had become a large part of my life and he called me to do this," said Clupper.
He said he hopes the event will help raise awareness on a variety of issues, but especially the pro-life message.
"Pro-life is the only response to pregnancy that takes into account the child on board," Clupper said.
Another issue he hopes the festival will address is that mainstream music is getting very destructive for today's society, regardless of the age it is intended to be targeted toward. He's glad to see Christian music is expanding, he said, because it is quality music without the destructive message.
The festival also will be a forum to "make people aware of Christian music," Clupper said.
During the festival, a free-will offering will be taken with all proceeds going to Heartline Pregnancy Center.
In addition to the music, the bands will have T-shirts and CDs for sale and there will be food and beverages for sale. There also will be a 24-foot climbing wall.
"It's absolutely intended to be a family atmosphere," said Clupper.
Ninety-nine percent of the festival cost was paid for in advance so the event could be free to the public. Much of the support came from local businesses, churches and individuals.
In addition, the "Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Self" Artisans Auction will be held May 5 at 2 p.m. at Windy Hill Studios. The auction will help pay for the festival. Any remaining monies will be donated to Heartline Pregnancy Center.
Amy Cox, Mrs. Indiana 2000, will host the auction dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Co-hosting auctioneer will be gospel singer Dane Bailey. Live acoustic guitar music will be provided by Jason Marshall during the auction preview from noon to 2 p.m.
Up for auction is a collection of art objects, high-quality hand-crafted pieces and selected antiques.
The auction is being spearheaded, Clupper said, by Melissa Mosher.
For more information on the auction, visit www.shmilyforlife.com or for more information on the festival, visit www.plmf.org
Whether future festivals are free or not depends on the attendance, Clupper said. The more people there, the more likely future festivals will be free.
Clupper said, "I'd just like to encourage people to understand the value of this event and show their support by just showing up."
