January 22, 2012 will mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion. More than 55 million lives in the United States have been lost because of abortion, a casualty that continues to grow daily.

While hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers descend on Washington, D.C. in protest of Roe v. Wade, Pro-Life Wisconsin affiliates throughout Wisconsin have local events occurring to mark January 22.

In addition to the planned affiliate events, two buses with over one hundred representatives of Pro-Life Wisconsin will leave Friday, January 20 as part of Pro-Life Wisconsin’s annual pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. There they will join an estimated crowd of 350,000 pro-life activists from across the country in what has become one of the nation’s largest marches for social reform.

“The impact of Roe v. Wade in Wisconsin has resulted in more than 500,000 babies killed through elective abortion,” said Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. “Abortions, especially chemical abortions, are on the rise in our state; abortion is a tragedy, happening in communities every day in Wisconsin.”

The following are planned PLW affiliate events for the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

PLW-Crawford County will pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet at Options Contraception Clinic, 103 Wacouta, Prarie du Chien, WI at on January 22 at 10 a.m.

PLW-Bayfield Co. will have a Mass for the Unborn on Sunday, January 22 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Louis Catholic Church, 217 W Seventh St., Washburn, WI.

PLW- Fond du Lac will hold a prayer vigil on Sat. Jan 21 at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Planned Parenthood Office at 333 N. Peters Ave.

PLW Kenosha will be having a prayer vigil on Sat. Jan. 21 from 11am to 11:45 am at Planned Parenthood in Kenosha. Planned Parenthood is located on Roosevelt Rd and 36th Ave.

Vigil for Life will host a vigil to mark the 39th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision at Planned Parenthood (3706 Orin Road) in Madison on Sunday Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. Fr. John Sasse from St. Patrick Catholic Church in Cottage Grove will lead the prayer vigil for the conversion of hearts to respect the dignity of all human life.

The Watertown Pro-Life Group/PLW-Jefferson County will pray the rosary following all Sunday Masses on January 22.

PLW-Juneau County will have a 39-minute prayer march at the Juneau County Courthouse on January 22 at 2:45 p.m.

Queen of Peace, Protector of Life/PLW-Sawyer County is sponsoring a "God's Gift of Life" presentation on January 18 for the CCD students (parents invited also). It will consist of a talk by Dr. Cliff Tenner of New Richmond to the 8th grade and above on the sanctity of life including issues pertinent to today's teens.

PLW-St. Croix County will meet at the Minnesota State Capitol to join the Minnesota Rally for Life at 2 p.m.

PLW-Marathon County: Pro-Life Rally at St. Mary’s Oratory, 325 Grand Av, Wausau, Sunday, January 22. Outside Rally begins after Mass about 11:30am. Lunch is at 12pm. Program begins at 1pm. Main speaker is Steve Karlen, Pro-Life Wisconsin's Program Director. Topic of speech: Ending Abortion: What it will take and where we go from here.

PLW Milwaukee County will observe Roe v. Wade with prayer and sidewalk counseling at Affiliated Medical Services in Milwaukee on Saturday, Jan. 21.

The Pro-Life Wisconsin buses will depart from St. Francis Church in Necedah at 10 a.m. and St. Mary’s Church in Elm Grove at 1:30 p.m.

Both Hamill and Zignego will be available on their cell phones for interviews about the March for Life in Washington, D.C., to be held on Monday, January 23.