Ride for Missing Children

Riders will begin trek at New York State Troopers barracks in Oneida

The 21st annual Ride for Missing Children-CNY is taking place on Friday, June 2.

The Ride will start at New York State Police Troop D in Oneida at 7:50 a.m. and will take riders approximately 100 miles to 15 schools before ending at the New Hartford Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m.

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 year’s ride is dedicated to Jacob Wetterling who had gone missing in October 1989. Riders are asked to remember and raise awareness of Jacob and all missing children along the route. Patty Wetterling, Jacob’s mother, will be an honored guest of the 2017 Ride.

In order to participate in the Ride, riders make a vow:

•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

•To raise at least $500 to support missing children poster distribution and community education

The Utica branch of NCMECNY/MV is the only geographically targeted poster distribution center in the United States.

Posters are sent to saturate locations carefully chosen where children and abductors might be found. Over 10 million posters of missing children have been printed and distributed from the Utica office since its inception in September 1995. Because of this, 7,125 children have been successfully reunited with their families.

“We want to thank all of you who have supported our mission,” said Wendy Fical, NCMEC-NY/MV program director. “It is the support of our Ride Family and the community that keeps us on our mission, To Make Our Children Safer… One Child At A Time.”

This annual event promotes awareness and hope in the plight of missing and exploited children across the country. What started with seven men in 1995 has grown to include 500 riders, 150 volunteers, 50 fam- ily members of missing children and thousands of spectators and supporters across the Mohawk Valley. The Ride is the biggest annual fundraiser for the National Cen- ter for Missing & Exploited Children - New York / Mohawk Valley (NCMEC-NY/ MV) branch. Formore information, visit therideformissingchildren.com.

DISPATCH STAFF PHOTO More than 420make their way along Beacon Light Road in the Town of Verona as the begin their 100mile ride for annual Ride for Missing and Exploited Children on Friday, May 15, 2015.