WASHINGTON — The 41st annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. focused on the theme of adoption as an alternative to abortion. Large numbers of pro-lifers braved the bitter cold to listen to speakers and march up Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court.

"For every one baby that's adopted," March for Life President Jeanne Monahan explained to The Christian Post as she marched, "there are 64 that are aborted."

By focusing on adoption, she added, March for Life is "trying to get at that huge discrepancy" and encourage "mothers facing an unexpected pregnancy to choose adoption."

Temperatures were in the teens, or below zero when factoring in the wind chill.

Monahan said she was not expecting as large a turnout as last year due to the extreme weather. No official count was taken, but her impression was that even more people were present than last year.

"I'm overwhelmed by the turnout," she said.

Monahan was also impressed by the fact that most of the marchers appeared to be 25 or younger.

"This is the pro-life generation," she said. "So delightful to see their smiling enthusiastic faces. I think young people are going to end abortion in their generation. I really do."

Karen Oliver arrived from Springfield, Va., with her sister and four of her six children. (Her two oldest children were at the march with their high school youth group.)

When asked if she considered staying home because of the extreme cold, she quickly replied, "Never." Oliver has been to every March for Life since the birth of her first child, who is now 15. "Nothing is going to stop us," she added.

One of Oliver's sons, I.J., explained that he is "marching for the lives of babies."

One marcher came dressed as George Washington. When asked why he came to the march, he replied, "George Washington on the third of July in the year of our Lord 1776 said the fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the conduct and courage of this army. So as the general of this army, this is where I must be to be with the other soldiers fighting for the unborn millions of Americans to be."