BALLSTON SPA – Malta Avenue Elementary students greeted riders on Friday, September 18, who were taking part in the Greater Capital District’s 8th annual Ride for Missing Children. The Ride raised funds to support the recovery efforts of missing children of local families, honored missing children and fallen law enforcement, and provided brief educational programs during the daylong event.
This annual fundraising event, which brings in approximately $20,000 a year, was brought to Albany by Stacy Herron, on behalf local families and her sister-in-law, Audrey May Herron, who disappeared over 11 years ago.
Mary Lyall, mother of missing Suzanne Lyall; Veronica Freer, mother of missing Craig Freer; Nancy Hieber, mother of missing Tammie McCormick; and other family members of local missing children participated, as well as about 50 bikers in the New York State Police-escorted ride around the Greater Capital Region. Educational Rest Stops took place in several school districts along the 100-mile route, with “Silent Tributes” for those the Ride honors.
Event proceeds benefit The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) poster program and are distributed locally to the Capital Region’s NMEC office to be used for personal and online safety education programs in local schools and to train local law enforcement.
The Capital Region Office of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Ballston Avenue in Saratoga Springs provides Netsmartz Internet and Real World safety education programs for children (grades K -12) and parents; a state-of-the-art “train the trainer” program for educators; abduction and exploitation prevention education programs for parents, children, law enforcement, and other professionals; and expert training for law enforcement and professionals serving missing and exploited children and their families.
The Ride is sponsored by CDPHP, Albany Marriott, Stewarts Shops, Bimbo Bakeries USA- Freihofer’s, Vincy’s Printing, Saratoga TODAY, and many more local companies. The Ride is one of two fundraising events to support the work of the Capital Region Office of NCMEC. The 8th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball will take place on October 30 at PRIME at Saratoga National to support the office. For details about the Capital Region office and the gala, please visit Facebook.com/ncmecnycr.
For more information about The Ride for Missing Children-Greater Capital District, please visit RideForMissingChildrenGCD.org.
