On March 7, 1986, Sav-A-Life made its debut in Pike County.

In the 25 years since then, the organization has helped an estimated 12,000 women, and volunteers will celebrate that benchmark with an auction and fund-raising dinner on March 11.

Louis Finlay, administrator, said Christine Green, founder of Sav-A-Life in Troy, started the organization from her husband’s office and was inspired to do so from a brochure she had received from her friends about abortion.

Finlay said Green sought to offer Sav-A-Life as an abortion alternative.

“She had two adopted children,” Finlay said. “She took the brochure home, showed her children, and asked ‘what must we do?’”

Finlay said Green said her son encouraged Sav-a-Life to “get in the phonebook” and let women know that the organization was available as an abortion alternative.

Mrs. Green passed away on Jan. 17, 2011.

However, Finlay says Green’s memory will live on and she expects a dedication in Green’s honor during Sav-A-Life’s upcoming celebration.

“We’re going to have a Low Country boil with a grits bar,” Finlay said. “And, we’ll have a silent auction with over 200 items, as well as entertainment from the Scratch Band.”

Finlay said the auction is the organization’s biggest fund-raising effort of the year. “We would love to raise $25,000,” Finlay said. “That’s half of our annual budget.”

To help reach that goal, organizers have offered a special auction item.

“We’ll have prints of the old Troy high school, which is framed with the wood from the actual wooden floors,” Finlay said. “We put in orders for 50 of the pictures and they will be sold at $75 each.”

The celebration will be held at Park Memorial on March 11, with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the self-serve Low Country boil available at 6 p.m. Auctioning will begin when the doors open and last until 7 p.m.

Tickets are $25 per couple and $15 per person.