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ST. LOUIS — Megan Shebosky-Aken drove three hours from her home in Malden, Missouri, in the state’s Bootheel to attend a signature-gathering event in St. Louis that kicked off an effort to put the question of whether to legalize abortion on a statewide ballot.

“That’s how much it means to me to get my reproductive rights back,� said Shebosky-Aken, 33, who wanted to be the first among Dunklin County residents to sign the petition.

She was among more than 1,000 people Tuesday night who filled The Pageant concert venue. Four other signature-gathering launch events were also held that night in Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia and St. Joseph.

“Thousands of Missourians� attended the events, according to a statement released Wednesday by the , a coalition that includes the ACLU of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri and Planned Parenthood affiliates.

“With the ink still drying on the first several thousand petitions, Missourians have eagerly waited for and deserve this opportunity to end the state’s draconian abortion ban,� said Tori Schafer, deputy director of policy and campaigns for ACLU of Missouri.

After delays caused by a series of Republican-led legal challenges, the coalition has just until May 5 to collect the roughly 172,000 to 185,000 signatures needed to put the question on the ballot.

There no reports of disruptions at the events despite a move this week by , an anti-abortion group, to create a tip line to encourage callers to “report the location of signature gatherers,� according to its website.

Missouri Right to Life officials did not respond to the Post-Dispatch’s questions about the tip line and how information from the tips will be used.

Before the doors opened to the public at The Pageant, organizer Sarah Sheahan went over how to gather signatures with a group of more than a dozen volunteers holding large clipboards.

“Together we are going to restore abortion access in Missouri!� Sheahan said to cheers and fist pumps.

Booths were also set up along the walls for residents from the city of St. Louis or surrounding counties. Attendees quickly formed lines at the booths and with signature-gatherers.

Kay Klausen, 58, was among those waiting in line at the St. Charles County booth.

Klausen said she never thought she would see her daughters and granddaughters face having less rights than she enjoyed.

With the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2022 to strike down Roe v. Wade, Missouri became one of the first states to impose pass a near-total abortion ban. Thirteen other Republican-led states quickly followed.

Klausen said she came to Tuesday night’s event to ensure her chance to sign the petition, and, “I wanted to make sure I was part of the beginning of the movement.�

The anti-abortion group Missouri Right to Life is urging Missourians to not sign the petition. The ballot is deceptive, the group states, and if passes, will give Missourians a right to “dangerous� abortions late in pregnancy with taxpayer dollars, without parental consent for minors and without oversight of health agencies.

According to the , voters would be asked whether they want to create a constitutional right to an abortion. But, the state would still be allowed to ban and regulate abortion after the point of “fetal viability,� unless the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the mother.

Fetal viability is defined as the point in pregnancy when the treating health care professionals find “a significant likelihood of the fetus’s sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.�

Mallory Schwarz, spokesperson for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said, “We encourage everyone to read the amendment for themselves.�

Abortion rights supporters in Missouri are trying to add to what have been a string of wins of ballot initiatives in seven other states — California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.

“This year, you are going to make history,� said the Rev. Love Holt, emcee for the St. Louis event.

Among those in the crowd was Anne McCaskill Moroh, the older sister of former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill.

“I never thought we would have to come back and help the young women fight the battles we fought� said Moroh, 72, of Sunset Hills.

She said most Missourians believe women should have the right to an abortion, and the measure will pass if it gets on the ballot.

“Missouri is going to show the nation that we are not just the extremes of the Missouri Legislature,� Moroh said.

Moroh was sitting with Cathy Marek, 74, of Chesterfield, whose mother had an illegal abortion in 1955 after being raped. Marek’s mother was a young mom caring for her child and paralyzed husband at the time.

“That’s why I’m here,� Marek said. “I’m going to collect every signature I can.�

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom announced Friday it had raised more than $3 million for its campaign from over 2,200 individual donations, and had signed up more than 5,000 volunteers. are planned this month.

Shebosky-Aken said Tuesday night she also signed up to volunteer to collect signatures in Dunklin County, where 78% of votes were cast for President Donald Trump in 2020.

“I’m here to be a beacon in that area,� she said, “for people that want to get involved and make a difference.�