Anti-abortion activist to address fundraiser

Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director now an anti-abortion activist, will be the keynote speaker at the Women's Care Center annual fundraising banquet next month.

"She is pro-life, and we are a pro-life ministry, so that's the main connection," said Lenita Sanders, executive director of the center in Rhea and Sequatchie counties.

The Women's Care Center is a nonprofit, faith-based pregnancy resource center that provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasound examinations and practical assistance to women, Sanders said.

"The reason we exist is that we want to make sure women receive the information they need before they make that decision," she said.

Johnson joined Planned Parenthood in 2005 as a college student searching for a way to help women in crisis, according to a news release, and eventually became a clinic director.

Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate, according to its website. No one with the organization could be reached for comment.

Johnson resigned in 2009 after she was asked to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion of a 13-week pregnancy, the news release states.

She works with the national 40 Days for Life, which draws attention to abortion through prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach, according to its website.

In January she released a book "UnPlanned," in which she details her experiences.

The banquet is a two-hour event that includes a dinner, music, a ministry update and the keynote speaker. There is no charge, though the event serves as the prominent fundraiser for both centers.