March 22/06 12:50 pm - In Motion for the Missing Ride Across Canada

Posted by Editoress on 03/22/06
 

In Motion for the Missing
Courtesy Missing Children's Network Canada

61 days, 10 provinces, 2 men, 1 cause! In Motion for the Missing is simply this … an awesome life changing adventure. During May and June, 2006, Brian Potter and Tom Ropeleski, two retired hig school teachers from Montreal, Quebec will join forces by cycling across Canada in order to bring school-age children and young adolescents, as well as communities and the entire country to a new level of awareness about the issues of missing and exploited children. During these two months of hope, through a bold display of commitment and physical endurance, they will honour lives lost, celebrate those reunited, and help bring the issues of missing and exploited children to the forefront of our fellow Canadians.

The money raised during the In Motion for the Missing event will benefit The Missing Children's Network and Child Find, two humanitarian organizations who work in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the search for missing children, provide prevention and awareness programs, as well as advocate for the rights of all children. The provincial offices of Child Find and the Missing Children's Network have been teaching child personal safety for more than twenty years, delivering quality education which teaches children of all ages comprehensive personal safety skills.

The issue of child abduction is well known to the Canadian public. What most Canadians fail to recognize however, is the importance of appropriate safety education and the roles that parents, educators and the community can play to keep children out of harm's way.

A missing child is every parents worst nightmare. In 2005 over 67,000 Canadian children were reported missing to police authorities. (These statistics do not include the number of attempted abductions occurring while children were walking to and from school or other activities.) This is the equivalent of one child reported missing every seven and a half minutes! Fortunately, however, there is a recovery rate of over a ninety percent, thanks in part to the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies and organizations like the Missing Children's Network and Child Find.

Brian and Tom's extraordinary effort focuses on an issue that affects literally thousands of Canadian families every year … it is also about empowering our youngsters to become strong, safe and smart, thus encouraging them to become community leaders.

Through interactive presentations at schools across the country Brian Potter & Tom Ropeleski, two former educators, will send an enthusiastic and motivational message to Canadian youth while encouraging them to participate by hosting a variety of fundraising activities.

In Motion for the Missing is your chance to go the distance in the fight against the exploitation of children; it's your chance to be a hero; your chance to be part of a legacy in Canadian culture and make a difference in the life of a child.

In Motion for the Missing is one bike ride you will never forget.

Get involved today and become a hometown hero! www.inmotionforthemissing.ca