By MARILYN TINNIN
Revenue raised for the Choose Life MS specialty license plate has reached the $3 million dollar mark. Available in Mississippi since 2002, the only state to exceed that amount is Florida.
Although Florida introduced the first specialty plate in 2000, raising ten million dollars there to promote life and adoption in Pregnancy Care Centers, maternity homes, and non-profit adoption agencies, Mississippi almost immediately began to outsell (per capita) Florida once their plate became available in 2002.
Mississippi was second only to Florida in reaching the one million dollar mark in sales. Russ Amerling, Choose Life, Inc. National Publicity Coordinator for Choose Life license plates, states, “As of June 2016, we have been successful in helping 31 states and the District of Columbia get a Choose Life license plate approved and over one million plates have been sold or renewed nationwide bringing in total revenue in the amount of $23,187,837.”
Choose Life MS, the non-profit organization responsible for the distribution of funds to over 40 MS pregnancy care and adoption centers, has also just introduced a new Adoption tag to increase the amount of funding that is distributed. Funds benefit MS pregnancy resource centers who are empowering women to choose life for their unborn children.
“We want people to realize they can grant Mississippi’s unborn children a License to Live by purchasing either a Choose Life tag or the new Adoption tag. “Many women feel overwhelmed when facing an unplanned pregnancy and we financially support pregnancy resource centers across Mississippi that provide a safe place for women to consider their options,” says Terri Herring, President. “We want people to know that a tag purchase equals a donation to local pregnancy centers. With so many specialty plates now available, more than ever we need people to Choose Life! Abortions continue to decline as new generations of women emerge with their ultrasound photos humanizing the unborn child. Now we know the unborn child looks a lot like us! Humanity triumphs when we see the truth. We urge Mississippians to continue to support life-affirming agencies that provide women with truth through free ultrasounds and counseling.”
“We want to encourage people to simply take their current license plate to the local tag office, pay $31 and order a new Choose Life tag or $51 for the new Adoption tag. Tags will be mailed and a receipt is all you need during the interim,” according to Janet Thomas, Executive Director for Choose Life.
For more information see www.cho0selifems.org.