Catholic School in Wisconsin Cancels American Girl Show Over Abortion 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 31, 2005
Berkfield, WI (LifeNews.com) — A Catholic school has canceled a fashion show there sponsored by American Girl dolls because of the company’s partnership with a girls group that advocates abortion. St. Luke School notified parents of children at the school via a bulletin insert during church service on Sunday.
The school was planning to use the fashion show to raise money to refurbish the library and build a new school playground, but the group will find another way to generate the funds.
"It’s a bargain we’ll just have to pass up," wrote Frank Malloy, St. Luke pastor, according to an Associated Press report. "The cost is too high. Our integrity isn’t for sale."
In the fashion shows, girls dress up in outfits matching the historical ones worn by the dolls, made by the Mattel Inc. subsidiary.
American Girl spokeswoman Julie Parks told AP that no one else has canceled a fashion show as a result of the publicity surrounding their partnership with Girl’s Inc. The New York-based organization supports abortion and touts the Roe v Wade Supreme Court case on its web site.
In the partnership, American Girl promotes sales of bracelets with the message "I Can" and the money raised is intended to help a Girls’ Inc. program that helps girls with self-esteem and scholastic issues.
American Girl has begun to play down its partnership and its web site no longer prominently displays the bracelets and its most recent catalog did not feature them. However, two pro-life groups, Pro-Life Action League and the American Family Association, have said they will begin a national boycott if the partnership is not ended by tomorrow.
