Children, their families and the community will celebrate practicing abstinence from all high-risk activities and breaking the cycle of teen pregnancy with the 21st annual rally and march sponsored by Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services on Friday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m., in Sherman Park at the Northeast corner of Sherman Blvd. and Burleigh St.

A Rally for Abstinence, including entertainment, live music, motivational speakers and a free picnic will be held after the march from Sherman Park to Gengler Park (Burleigh and 50th St.). The event's goal is to raise awareness and send a message to the community that 6 out of 10 youth are now choosing the abstinent lifestyle and are making positive choices in the face of increasingly confusing messages in the media and entertainment world about sexuality.

Rosalie Manor's partners in the Milwaukee Alliance for Teaching Abstinence are the New Concept Self Development Center, Northcott Neighborhood House and the Milwaukee Public Schools' Best Men Programs. Rosalie Manor has established many programs and services that combat teen pregnancy and promote sexual abstinence, helping educate at-risk teens and working to reduce the community's high teen birth rate.  At the same time, these programs strive to help youth develop skills that enable them to handle the challenges of peer pressure, low self-esteem, understanding sexually transmitted diseases and forming healthy relationships.

For more information on the march and rally, call Dawn Groshek at 414-449-2868, ext. 202.