MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

7th

Annual Day-Long, 100-Mile Bike Ride Raises Funds, Awareness, and

Hope for Families of Missing Children

Opening and closing ceremonies honor the journey of

Capital Region families with missing children and fallen law enforcement

WHAT: The 7th

annual Ride for Missing Children – Greater Capital District gets underway early Friday

morning September 19th

to raise funds to support recovery efforts of missing children of local

families. The day-long event honors missing children, fallen law enforcement, and provides brief

prevention education programs in elementary schools along The Ride.

WHEN/WHERE:

Friday September 19

6:00 am -7:15 am Opening Ceremony

University at Albany, Hall of Fame, Physical Education Building, Albany, NY

Where missing Suzanne Lyall was last seen.

Route:

8:19 am – 8:49 am Birchwood Elementary, Niskayuna, NY

Half-hour breakfast stop.

9:07 am - NYSUT Circle for “Silent Tribute” Ride-By, Latham, NY

In honor of Colin Gillis, who went missing from Tupper Lake.

9:13 am – 9:33 am Forts Ferry Elementary, Latham, NY

20 minute rest stop.

10:14 am – 10:15 am Craig Elementary School, Niskayuna, NY

11:05 am – 11:25 am Okte Elementary School, Clifton Park, NY

20 minute rest stop.

12:49 pm – 1:19 pm Malta Avenue Elementary, Ballston Spa, NY

Thirty minute lunch stop.

1:42 pm - “Silent Tribute” NCMEC Office

359 Ballston Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY

3:06 pm – 3:36 pm Kids Campus Day Care, Clifton Park, NY

Thirty minute rest stop.

4:52 pm – 7:30 pm Closing Ceremony

New York State Museum, Albany, NY

For further details, please visit http://rideformissingchildrengcd.com/.

WHO: - Stacy Herron, Chair of The Ride and sister of missing Audrey May Herron

- Veronica, Sarah and Matt Freer, mother and siblings of missing Craig Freer

- Nancy Hieber, mother of missing Tammy McCormick

- other family members of missing children

- approximately 50 riders, 15 volunteers, and several members of local law enforcement

DETAILS: The Ride for Missing Children – Greater Capital District gets underway early Friday morning

September 19 to raise funds to support recovery efforts of missing children of local families.

Now in its seventh year, this state police-escorted ride has about 50 bike riders participating on

Friday, September 19. The Ride typically raises approximately $20,000 to support missing

children prevention and recovery programs. Proceeds go to the nationwide poster distribution

program of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), as well as

locally to the personal and online safety education programs of the Capital Region office of

NCMEC.

Stacy Herron, Chair of The Ride for Missing Children in Albany, and the Ride committee

brought this annual fundraising event to Albany on behalf of local missing persons and their

families, including her sister-in-law, Audrey May Herron, who disappeared on her way home

from work 12 years ago.

The Opening Ceremony is held at the University at Albany in honor of Suzanne Lyall, who was

last seen stepping off a bus on campus to return to her dormitory. The ceremony will include

presentations on the mission of The Ride and a wreath ceremony to honor missing children,

recovered deceased missing children, and fallen officers. Family members will speak and share

about their missing loved ones.

Participants will ride 100 miles around the Greater Capital District Region, escorted by The New

York State Police and local law enforcement of the jurisdictions through which they ride. The

Ride will stop at schools for educational Rest Stops, with "Silent Tributes" to missing children,

recovered children, and fallen officers along the way. Riders and volunteers will also provide a

brief educational presentation on child safety and abduction prevention at each school.

The Closing Ceremony will take place at the New York State Museum in Albany, where the

Missing Persons Remembrance is located, to “light their way home”. The ceremony includes a

slide show of the day’s ride; thank-you recognition to the participating riders, families, and event

sponsors; and dinner.

The Ride is sponsored by CDPHP, Albany Marriott, Stewarts Shops, Hannaford, and Frank &

Sons Bodywork. The Ride is one of two fundraising events to support the work of the Capital

Region Office of NCMEC. The 7th

Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball will take place on

October 24 at PRIME at Saratoga National to support the office. For details about the Capital

Region office and the gala, please visit www.ncmecnycr.org.

For more information about The Ride for Missing Children-Greater Capital District, please visit

http://rideformissingchildrengcd.com/ or call one of the media contacts below.

About The Ride for Missing Children

The mission of The Ride for Missing Children is to honor the memory of all missing children; to

raise public awareness of the plight of all missing and exploited children and the need for child

safety education; and to raise funds to support the missing children poster distribution process

and the mission of the local National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offices in the

Mohawk Valley and Capital Region of New York State.

About the Capital Region Office of The National Center for Missing and Exploited

Children

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s mission is to help prevent child

abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of abduction

and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

The Capital Region Office of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was

opened in the summer of 2011 following four years of successful local fundraising and volunteer

efforts. The office serves the children, families and professionals of the 11 counties of the

Capital Region, including Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer,

Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties.

The office provides abduction and sexual exploitation prevention education programs for

parents, children, law enforcement, and other professionals; Netsmartz Internet and Real World

safety education programs for children (grades K -12) and parents, (including state-of-the-art

“train the trainer” program for educators); and expert training for law enforcement and

professionals serving missing and sexually exploited children and their families.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Stacey Herron

Cell: (518) 461-5881

Or Norreida Reyes

Media Relations Volunteer

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Capital Region Gala Committee

Cell: (518) 477-0281

Email: Norreida@gmail.com