Ride for Missing Children (long)

[Kryn]

This is long, I apologize in advance.

The Ride for Missing Children in Utica, New York is an annual event that started as a result of the abduction of a local youngster. She was riding from her father’s church to her home and never arrived. Her bicycle was found on her road with her crayons and coloring book scattered in a nearby ditch. Her family began the largest single distribution of posters ever for one missing child. Sadly she was never recovered, but her legacy lives on in this ride.

The Mohawk Valley chapter of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which exists here as a direct result the work of her family and friends, sponsors this ride every year in an effort to raise money for the national distribution of posters of missing children. Each rider must commit to raising 2000 posters (at a cost of .25 a piece, this amounts to $500.00), spreading the message of personal and bicycle safety through volunteer work, and riding the century in May.

This was my first year as rider. I joined 90 or so other first years! The training is done on weekend group rides, led by a volunteer staff composed mostly of members of the local bike club. We began our outdoor training in early spring, first riding 30 miles, then 40, 50 and finally 60. I always tried to ride both days. Friday May 20th was the day of The Ride.

When I say “us”, I am referring to 280 volunteer riders. We stretched 1 and 3/4 miles along the road, riding two by two. Among us were Ahmad, who told us of the abduction of two of his daughters. One was murdered, the other survived. Mike, whose daughter was abducted and murdered in Florida. And one rider who wished to remain anonymous, but who is a true survivor, a recovered missing child.

We visited seven schools, bringing our message of personal safety to hundreds of children. There was a band playing at each stop. The children and teachers joined us in singing along to a safety song, “say no, then go...go tell!” We danced and sang with them, reminding them to stay safe.

Police vehicles accompanied us, blocking each intersection, then racing ahead in the far left lane to beat us to the next intersection and block that one off as well. This is a fully supported ride; food, drinks, and busses for tired riders. Though we are all encouraged to ride, for everyone's safety SAG wagons are provided to sweep up slower riders.

We passed silent tributes, police officers standing at parade rest next to memorial wreaths, honoring the missing. The police lined either side of the road in Oriskany, near our last stop. They stood silently by their cars, lights flashing, as they saluted us.

If you think riding 100 miles is tough, you should try it while you’re crying.

The day was profoundly moving, and I am so proud to have been a part of it, and of our mission;
To make our children safer ...one child at a time.

[CorsairMac]

oh kryn - what a very moving report! thank you for sharing. I can't even imagine trying to ride while crying - as I sit here at my desk crying. what a moving (no pun intended) tribute.

[Kryn]

Thankis Corsair. And glad you like my Avatar too

[Trek420]

kryn, thanks for riding and what a moving report. Is this the only ride of its sort?

Corsair there were times on the AIDS ride I had to get myself together....closing ceremonies when the riderless bike comes in and again for the crew, the hill before King City my first century where I see the riders in back of me (yeah, behind ME, weird) and in front of me and you really get a scope of what you've done, any time I see our Pos ped's, the last hill day 7 knowing I'd made it....

guess we do these rides for the cause but it's also catharsis

I think for me this year nothing really dealt with the scope of how I felt about the disease than doing the ride.

One of my sponsors wrote on my jersey...upside down so i could see it when I'm tired and look down "when the going gets touch think of 11 million African Orphans" so a lot of this is about the kids.

So you can ride crying but it's hard to do.

[Pax]

Wow Kryn, excellent report and a very worthy cause! Like the others I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes.

[Kryn]

Thank you for all your warm comments.

There are two other rides like this that I know of. One is in Rochester, NY, which this year was on the same day as ours. One is in Auburn, NY and I believe that one is September 30 this year. Neither ride is as large as the Utica one, and Auburn is quite hilly, but I'm sure, like any charity ride, you will get so much more out of it than you put in.


PS
I raised $750.00, so you can add it to the total!

[shadon]

This sounds like a wonderful ride!

It looks like you live in my old environs! I went to Morrisville College, and then to Binghamton, and I have family in Morrisville. What a nice part of the world to ride in!

[sarahk]

Hey kyrn,

Are you a member of MVBC? Just curious to see if you've been to any of the club rides.

Also this year was the 10th aniversery of the Ride for Missing Children. I didn't do it, but a smaller group rode from Utica, NY to Washington D.C. to commemorate the aniversary. I think it was 600 miles over 6 or 7 days. I could be wrong on those amounts.

The club also hosts a prologue on the first day of the Tour each year and the funds raised from this also goes to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Sarah

[Kryn]

Sarah,

I think I am a member (gotta see if the check cleared!), and I have been on some Wed. night rides. Not in several weeks though.

The DC crew rode 430 miles in 5 1/2 days to Washington DC. Pics of them arriving are available at the NCMEC web site.