Anchorage, Alaska, Nov 28, 2010 / 16:12 pm
The following story was updated Dec. 1, 2010
A week after the start of Advent, in which many people are preparing to celebrate the birth of the Infant Jesus, the largest provider of abortions in Alaska plans to utilize a popular holiday bazaar in Anchorage to promote and raise funds for their organization, although funds raised during the bazaar cannot be used to pay for abortions.
Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest (PPGNW) is scheduled to be one of 35 non-profit organizations that will participate in the annual Mitzvah Mall, a Dec. 5 holiday bazaar hosted by Congregation Beth Sholom, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Anchorage.
In November, the Catholic Anchor incorrectly reported that Planned Parenthood would be accepting gift donations at the Mitzvah Mall that could be utilized for abortions. In actuality, Planned Parenthood will be accepting donations to help pay for birth control pills, educational opportunities and other services provided by the organization. While Planned Parenthood performs hundreds of abortions in Alaska each year, Director Clover Simon says that the holiday gifts purchased at the Mitzvah Mall cannot be designated to pay for abortion procedures.