The following is a statement from Right to Life of Holland Area:
Right to Life of Holland Area is deeply grateful and encouraged by the outcry and support from the community.
As you are aware the original application for our float to be in the Wednesday and Saturday Tulip Time parades was denied. We consequently offered to enter our float under the name of Right to Life of Michigan Education Fund which has a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status because it is solely educational. We also suggested that any float that had a long record of participation could be grandfathered in and new entries would be held to the revised guideline.
On April 9, we were notified that the Tulip Time board had “affirmed its recent decision and will be taking no further action.” Regretfully, Right to Life of Holland Area has accepted their decision.
Consequently, the time has come to put controversy behind us and focus on ways to spread life-affirming messages. Right to Life of Holland Area chooses not to promote boycotts of Tulip Time activities. We choose to continue our 25-year history of being a positive part of Tulip Time.
We are pleased to announce that our float will be on display during Tulip Time at 1 Graves Place in Holland, just east of Centennial Park. We are also pleased to announce the “Red Rose Campaign.”
The red rose has long been the symbol of life. We have designed a special T-shirt with a red rose and the words “Life a Precious Gift,” which we encourage our supporters to wear during Tulip Time festivities. More details will be made available soon.
We have also been contacted by many parade participants asking how they can show their support for life. We suggest that they wear an arm band of a one-inch red ribbon on their left arm.
Our hope and prayer is that those who have phoned with words of encouragement, written letters to the editor, signed the online petition, made helpful suggestions, etc., will join us by participating in our “Red Rose Campaign” at the Tulip Time festival.
