Syracuse Ride for Missing Children

As most of you were waking up this morning, there were nearly two-hundred cyclists unloading their bicycles, gear, and hearts for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) annual Ride for Missing Children (RMC). One-hundred cyclists in Syracuse and another sixty-plus in the Greater Capital District (Albany), probably and equal number of volunteers, law enforcement, community and families of missing children – the ride began before 8:00 a.m.

I had the blessing and honor to be the keynote speaker for the Ride for Missing Children in Syracuse this morning. I invited two of my girlfriends to join me and experience the ride for themselves since they devoted so much time to editing and critiquing my book Where’s Heidi: The Search Begins this summer as I put the finishing touches on it prior to sending it to a publisher. It was an eventful ride there (with me driving) with much laughter, some snarls, and the aroma wonderfully hot cup of Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee lingering (which helped to limit the snarls, lol).

There are five rides across New York State. I’ve attended three of them. My goal is to hopefully attend the ride in Buffalo and Rochester in the future. While each ride is a separate, special, and tight family ~ they are part of a bigger family – the New York State RMC family. Today, the riders in Albany were remembered during the Syracuse ride, and vice-a-versa. As the sister of a missing person – I’m blessed to be a part of their family.

The RMC and NCMEC is a precious and dear extension of my family. The love, compassion, hope, faith, and strength of these riders are an inspiration to the families of the missing. We are all a part of this unified team, a family ~ praying, working, riding, serving, speaking, and volunteering to:

1)      Keep our children safer…One Child at a time
2)      Raising funds to print posters
3)      Raising funds to provide prevention education in our schools and communities
4)      Provide hope to the hopeless
5)      and the list goes on...and on...and on....

I can’t help but think of God’s love, provision, and blessings on my life. The RMC family is big and wonderful yet God’s…is out of this world! Thank goodness I have the best of both worlds.

Thank you NCMEC and the RMC – you model the grace, love, and compassion of Jesus daily.