In March of early 1979, the residents of Love Canal and the LCHA organized a march on Mother’s Day to protest the state’s reluctance to expand funding for relocation of all Love Canal Residents. In their eager last hopes they marched to the state capital, sent letters and telegrams, threatened to hold an EPA official hostage, prayed and mourned.
The Mother's Day March had the goal to pressurize the state government and their decision to only relocate part of the Love Canal Population. They wanted to increase national attention to their suffering from toxic waste and use strong slogans and messages to relay their anger and feelings of despair. They targeted Hooker Chemical Corporation and used slogans blaming them for poisoning and killed their children and environment. They also targeted the state for not taking action to protect their own citizens by carrying empty children's coffins. They marched to the state capital in Albany, NY carrying empty children’s coffins to represent the birth defects, miscarriages, and deaths due to chemical exposure.