The Ave Herald

Ave Maria will be well represented at Friday's March for Life in Washington, D.C.

About 100 students from Ave Maria University and 50 students and chaperones from the Ave Maria Youth Group left Wednesday to be part of the march, many attending for the first time.

"It's been hard to take time from studies to go in previous years," said AMU senior Dave Tomaszycki as he waited to board a bus late Wednesday afternoon for the 20-hour trip to the nation's capital, "but this year I decided I had to make the time."

Earlier in the afternoon, secondary students gathered at the Donahue Academy (right) before leaving for the airport for their trp to Washington.

"You are the pride of this community," Parish Administrator Robert Tatman told them after all the students and staff at the school prayed the rosary before the send-off.

The high school students will also attend Mass with Bishop Frank Dewane in Washington and have a meeting scheduled with Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart before returning Saturday.

As they left to board cars and vans to go to the airport, Fr. Tatman handed each youth group member a commemorative stocking cap -- an item that may prove quite useful with the weather forecast to be chilly with a mixture of snow and rain on the day of the march. (Left, Michael Dauphinais in his new cap.)

Both groups of students were supported in part by the combined efforts of the parish Respect Life Committee and the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, which donated $600 to each group from proceeds of a fund-raising "Dancing for Life" event held in December. (right, youth group leader Ed Rivera [L] thanks Grand Knight James Patrick Guerrero for the Knights' help)

AMU founder Tom Monaghan (below left) wished the students well and told them they may find Washington a "somewhat different" place following the election Tuesday of Republican Scott Brown from Massachusetts to the U.S. Senate.

Before leaving, the Donahue Academy presented Fr. Tatman with a cake (below right) in honor of his birthday Wednesday.