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  • Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire and state leaders proclaim Missing Children's Day

For Immediate Release: May 25, 2005

OLYMPIA � May 25, 2005 � Gov. Christine Gregoire today joined Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste and Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe at an assembly at Lakes Elementary School in Lacey to proclaim May 25 as Missing Children�s Day in Washington.

At any given time, there are approximately 1,700 missing children in Washington state, including children who have been abducted or have run away.

�As a mother, I know how terrifying it is to think of losing a child,� said Gregoire. �Today we�re teaching our parents and our kids how to stay safe in today�s world.�

�Just this year, the State Patrol�s Missing Children�s Clearinghouse has assisted in the safe recovery or location of 146 missing children,� said Batiste. �It only takes a minute for something to happen, which is why we are here to educate children on how to make smart decisions and inform parents of the resources they have to assist them.�

Some of those resources include the WSP Missing Children Clearinghouse, which maintains a 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-800-543-5678, and the new AMBER Alert web portal that is in place in Washington. �With the AMBER Alert portal in place in our state, should an abduction occur, we are working collaboratively and more aggressively with partners around the state to bring children home safely and quickly,� Batiste said.

Sen. McAuliffe secured $25,000 in the state operating budget to develop a child-abduction-prevention informational pamphlet and poster, which is being distributed to Washington elementary schools. The materials also are available online at www.k12.wa.us

�These simple tips will help empower Washington�s families with the knowledge they need to keep kids safe,� said McAuliffe. �This campaign is one way we can be proactive in teaching our kids to say no to anyone who makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.�

Bergeson said, �It�s the combined responsibility of families, schools and communities to help keep our kids safe. We hope this brochure and campaign results in a statewide conversation about the prevention of child abduction.�

The event today ended with the presentation of certificates to the Lacey children who won the �Bringing Our Children Home� poster contest, sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The winners of the contest are Lakishmi Panjini, Kyndra Zoesch, Danny Gauthier and Kelcey Wenger.

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