21st Annual Ride For Missing Children Taking Place This Week

One of the best experiences of my life thus far was participating in The Ride for Missing Children to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This year I have the honor and privilege of doing it again and the big day is approaching soon.

This Friday, June 2nd hundreds of people will get on their bikes at The New York State Trooper barracks in Oneida and ride nearly 100 miles to raise awareness for those young people who were taken from their families and never returned. Stopping at several schools along the way to meet young students in an effort to encourage safety and awareness.

Full stops will be made at Staley School in Rome, Harts Hill Elementary in Whitesboro, General Herkimer Elementary in Utica, Barringer Road Elementary in Ilion and Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. Spectators are encouraged to cheer on riders and show their support. The full Ride route is available online at therideformissingchildren.com.

This local ride was inspired 21-years-ago following the abduction and death of Sara Anne Wood. Although her killer has been captured and imprisoned, she has yet to be recovered. We ride for Sara, we ride for Jacob Wetterling whom this years ride is dedicated to, and we ride for every child who is still missing. The goal of this ride and The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is to keep the mission "To Make Our Children Safer...One Child At A Time."

You are encouraged to show your support by donating to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children locally. All the posters printed in an effort to bring our missing children home are printed right here in the Utica branch of the NCMEC-NY. Also, if you happen to be living or working along the ride route look out for the mass of blue, white, and pink jerseys this Friday and pray for nice weather.