We Were Made to Champion Life: 2026 Move for Life Recap
There was a peaceful ease about the morning and an abundance of goodwill as more than 1,500 people gathered to run, walk, and cheer for the gospel and life at Move for Life 2026, on Saturday, May 9.
Align board members Janae and Rodney Hostetter opened the festivities at The Junction Center with prayer. WJTL radio personality Mindy Lynn emceed the event from the stage and cheerfully guided the crowd through the morning schedule.
Fun and Food for the Whole Family
Throughout the day, families enjoyed exploring various activities throughout the festival area. Children jumped in bounce houses, rode the barrel train, and snuggled tiny baby goats while teens played giant Jenga and cornhole with the adults. Kids loved the Kati the Curious Caterpillar book station, staffed by author Todd Swisher and his daughter Sharon Hitz, where they could color, hunt for Kati and her friends on a giant rainforest poster, and enjoy a free sparkly blue morpho butterfly sugar cookie based on the recipe in the Kati the Curious Caterpillar Activity Book.
Kids of all ages enjoyed the WJTL Kids Cookie Break car and table, and a few Align staffers got to talk with Lisa Landis about Align’s ministry to families during the Kids Cookie Break radio show.
The food trucks were also hopping. This year, Noel’s Cafe, W Donuts, The Pretzel Place, and Acai Dreams offered an array of breakfast goodies. And the free sweet sugary goodness from Cotton Candy Carts was once again a fan favorite.
Families who visited Align’s ministry info table learned fun facts about preborn babies as they played a plinko game and held the first, second, and third trimester baby models in their hands. Families also had the opportunity to learn more about the PA Family Institute at their table.
Many friends and families also flocked to the Align Life Ministries photo station to commemorate their attendance at this year’s Move for Life, including a family of four generations!
Rain or Shine, Participants Pressed On!
When the 5K and Walk times rolled around, more than 400 runners and 300 walkers took to the courses along Junction Road to show their support for preborn babies, parents, and people recovering from past abortions. There were children, parents, and grandparents everywhere you looked, plus strollers galore, roller blades, bicycles, and even a skateboard!
Quite a few participants and volunteers donned the new white t-shirts that they had earned through their fundraising efforts, sporting the phrase “Made to Champion Life.” Others wore t-shirts and sweatshirts from previous Move for Life events, indicating their support for the ministry and the mission over the years. And several churches brought entire teams of people to take part in the event!
As participants crossed the finish line, volunteer youth handed out water bottles, and countless congratulatory hugs and cheers were felt across the property.
Although gray skies loomed for most of the morning, the Lord graciously held off the heavy rain until the events were over and everyone had made it back safely to The Junction Center.
One runner rejoiced at being able to run in the 5K after a serious leg injury several months ago, saying, “I’m blessed to be able to fully participate with my family in this fundraising event.”
After the 5K and Walk portion of the morning, the crowd gathered in the stage area for the Ministry Update and Awards Ceremony. Everyone’s clapping and cheering echoed across the grounds while Matt Kocher, Align’s Executive Vice-President, announced 5K winners based on age categories. He also shared a few Align service statistics as well as updates about Align’s new larger pregnancy center locations in Ephrata and Columbia.
A Story of Life
Lisa Hosler, Align’s President, interviewed former client Adrienne who came to Align in 2013 when she was single and facing an unexpected pregnancy.
“Growing up in a Christian household, I felt the weight of my choices deeply, knowing they could impact not only my life but also my faith and my family’s expectations,” Adrienne explained. “I also felt uncertain and alone, unsure of how to navigate the challenges I was facing or what steps to take next.”
Align’s prenatal education classes—plus the compassion and encouragement from her Client Advocate and others at Align—helped Adrienne face her challenges with hope.
It was so beautiful to hear how she chose life for her baby.
That little girl is now almost a teenager. And how encouraging it was to see her seated next to her mom on the stage!
“I would want you to know that what you’re doing truly matters more than you may ever fully see,” Adrienne said. “The support I received helped shape not only my journey as a mother, but also my faith and the direction of my life.”
On the heels of Adrienne’s testimony, Lisa shared the gospel—noting Align’s 2026 theme, “God of Redemption,” and wanting everyone there to know Jesus as their personal Redeemer.
The crowd seemed to soak up the goodness.
The Prayer Tent
Prayer plays a large role in Align’s ministry. We pray for clients regularly, that God would be with them and open their hearts to the inherent value of their and their babies’ lives. We also thank the Lord regularly for our supporters and volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible.
Debbie Davenport, Align’s Vice President of Prayer and Partnerships, oversaw the on-site Prayer Tent at this year’s Move for Life. It was a true blessing to experience many supporters, volunteers, and guests share their stories and receive encouragement and prayer from other believers.
Thank You for Another Successful Move for Life
We’re thankful to everyone who participated in Move for Life and who raised money to fund this vital, ongoing mission! We are grateful for the more than 100 volunteers who helped us set up and carry out the various event activities throughout the morning and who also helped tear down the event in record time! Thank you to our wonderful Corporate Sponsors, food truck friends, event vendors, and our fantastic friends at WJTL.
Most of all, we thank the Lord! We felt Him do the heavy lifting throughout Move for Life 2026 and it was awesome! He brought people through the events safely and gifted us with a wonderful morning of community—as only He can.
“It was a fun event for a great cause,” one participant shared.
If you’d like to join us next time, mark your calendars for next year’s Move for Life—Saturday, May 8, 2027, at The Junction Center. We hope to see you there!