Contact: Shawn Carney, 40 Days for Life, 979-574-8711

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- "With the January 22 anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling, the United States began its 40th year of legal abortion," said Shawn Carney, campaign director of 40 Days for Life. "This is a critical year in terms of the sanctity of human life -- a year in which people from across America and beyond are preparing to take a public stand on behalf of innocent lives at risk."

Carney said that in this 40th year, pro-life advocates in 251 locations reaching from coast to coast in the United States as well as Canada, England, Australia and Spain will be hosting local 40 Days for Life campaigns simultaneously. The coordinated international campaign begins February 22 and runs through April 1.

Carney pointed out that the number 40 shows up frequently in the Bible. "Noah in the flood, Moses on the mountain, Christ in the desert -- those were all 40-day challenges. But the number also shows up in terms of years, as in the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness," he said. "They were kept away from the promised land because they disobeyed God. Forty years represented a generation in biblical terms, and only a new generation was allowed to enter the new land. Forty years has spiritual significance in the struggle against abortion here in America, as we pray and work for our land to be free of abortion."

With 251 locations, this will be the largest springtime 40 Days for Life campaign in history. 40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of pro-life community outreach. The list of participating communities is posted online at: www.40daysforlife.com/location.

"The public vigil is the most visible part of the campaign and it has a tremendous impact," said Carney. "Many people simply do not realize that there is a facility in their own towns where abortions take place. They are shocked to find out what is going on -- often in their own neighborhoods. When abortion is out of sight and out of mind, it can be easy to ignore. Once you know what's going on locally, abortion -- as well as the damage it causes -- becomes real. It becomes clear that abortion that brings death and despair. It cannot be ignored any longer."

40 Days for Life continues to grow. Nine coordinated, international 40 Days for Life campaigns have been completed, beginning in the fall of 2007. More than 500,000 people in some 422 cities have taken part. Twenty-one abortion centers have closed following 40 Days for Life prayer vigils and at least 61 abortion industry employees have quit their jobs. "The most significant impact," Carney said, "is that there are 5,045 babies that we know of -- and their mothers -- who were spared from the tragedy of abortion."