Ten buses are set to take Butler County residents to the 45th annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 19.

People interested in making the trip should contact one of the bus captains to reserve seats because the buses usually fill up, said Gretchen Cararie, the bus coordinator for the Butler County Chapter of Pennsylvanians for Human Life.

“Most are regulars who go every year and they (the buses) are pretty full,” Cararie said.

She said she and her husband got involved in the anti-abortion movement in the early 1970s, when they lived in Washington state, They moved back to Pennsylvania the year before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973. She said she wasn’t able to go to the first march that year, but has gone to the last 44.

“We feel strongly that life begins at conception and abortion takes a child’s life,” Cararie said.

The march, which draws about 200,000 people every year, is the longest-running lobbying effort, and one of the largest, in the nation’s capital, she said.

“A lot of people want the law changed and the only way to do that is to keep the issue in front of people and congressmen,” Cararie said.

The ride to D.C. includes anti-abortion films and discussing plans for the 1.5-mile march, she said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, and other abortion opponents in Congress reserve rooms for receptions for the marchers, she said.

The buses leave at different times from different locations in the county and arrive in the capital around 11:30 a.m. The annual rally starts at noon and the march begins at 1 p.m.

“It’s a very peaceful, prayerful day. It’s not a day of protesting or picketing. Washington (D.C.) police welcome us. It’s a positive experience,” Cararie said.

She said the anti-abortion movement is also gaining ground with younger Americans.

“In recent years we’re getting more and more young people. Close to half of the crowd is young adults. It’s nice to know young people feel the need to speak up for respect for life and it’s nice because some of us are getting older. It’s nice to know the younger generation is coming along to take our place,” Cararie said.

She recommends marchers call one of the bus captains as soon as possible for reservations. Prices and departure times vary, and buses make scheduled stops to pick up other marchers on the way, she said.

- Cararie is captain of the bus leaving from Middlesex Township and she can be reached at 724-898-2529.

- Meridian bus captain Ray Ferguson can be reached at 724-282-4298.

- Cranberry Township and Mars bus captain Ray Haskins can be reached at 412-400-0521.

- Zelienople bus captain John Healy can be reached at 724-544-4118.

- Herman bus captain John Hinterlang can be reached at 724-352-9384.

- Butler bus captain Ed Hoyt can be reached at 724-283-9070.

- Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic School bus captain Mike Palcsey can be reached at info@cwnshs.org. Three buses are leaving from the school.

- Nick Protos is captain of another Middlesex Township bus and he can be reached at 724-898-3322.