NATCHEZ — Armed with sharpened white crosses and hammers, volunteers converged on the bluff Saturday afternoon to bring awareness to their opposition to abortion.

Ruth Powers, co-chair of Pro-Life Natchez-Adams County, said approximately 140 unborn children are aborted each hour in the United States.

“It’s awful,” she said.

To help bring awareness to the issue, Powers and others will participated in an anti-abortion rally on Jan. 22.

And Jan. 22 has special meaning for the group.

It’s the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.

In that decision the U.S. Supreme Court validated abortion rights for women and legalized the act.

“We just want people to know what’s going on,” Powers said.

And to help spread the message, volunteers nailed more than 140 crosses to the bluff top on Saturday afternoon to symbolize how many unborn children die in one hour nationwide.

“This is how many die in one hour,” Virginia O’Beirne said looking over the crosses. “And it’s been going on for 36 years. It’s terrible, it’s unbelievable.”

Powers said on the evening of the rally the entire community is invited to the gazebo to pray for abortion victims.

The service begins at 5:30 p.m. and will include several speakers from local churches.

“We want everyone to come out,” Powers said.

And for those who’ll be at the rally, like O’Beirne, the mission is simple.

“We want to give a voice to the unborn,” she said. “They can’t speak for themselves, so we will.”