Photo Caption: Keynote speaker Brian Clowes is director of education and research at Human Life International.

Brian Clowes, director of education and research at Human Life International, will be the keynote speaker at the 33rd annual Respect Life Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Spalding Pastoral Center, 419 NE Madison Ave., Peoria.

The dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., is a fundraiser for the Family Resources Center, which opened at its new location across from the pastoral center in October 2013.

Tickets are $28 each before Oct. 1, or $30 after that date. They may be reserved by sending payment to the Family Resources Center, 415 NE Monroe St., Peoria, IL 61603. Donations beyond the dinner ticket price are also welcome, with contributions of $50 or more recognized in the printed program.

Checks should be made payable to the Respect Life Dinner Committee. More information is available by calling the center at (309) 839-2287.

Clowes is a graduate of West Point and is a former A-Team leader for the U.S. Army Special Forces. He has a doctorate in civil engineering and systems.

Those experiences proved valuable when he became Human Life International’s director of research in 1995.

“The military background lent organizational expertise, and the engineering work gave me lots of experience in statistical analysis,” said Clowes, who has authored nine books, more than 90 articles and has traveled to 50 countries as a pro-life speaker, educator and trainer.

He and his wife, Kathleen, have seven children and a combined 50 years of pro-life experience, ranging from rescues and sidewalk counseling to assisting in litigation against abortionists.

The Family Resources Center has been dedicated to the defense of human life and the promotion of family values for 34 years. It offers services, printed materials and videos, and counseling in matters related to pregnancy, abortion, family planning, marriage, parenting, and teenage sexuality.