OWASCO - As a bus driver for Weedsport Central School District, Ron Coleman wants to make sure that all children are safe from predators. He is increasingly aware of the need to teach children especially about Internet safety and being aware that stalkers are just as dangerous on the Web.
“I think children need to be made aware about predators on the Internet and things of that nature,” the Victory man said.
On Friday, Coleman pedaled his bicycle 100 miles around Cayuga and Onondaga counties to do just that as he participated in the sixth annual Finger Lakes Ride for Missing Children.
Hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children New York Branch, about 60 riders from all across central and western New York mounted their bikes and participated in a paced ride led by law enforcement that began and ended at Emerson Park with stops at schools in Jordan, Baldwinsville, Cato, Owasco and Aurelius along the way.
At each stop, riders passed on information to children and teachers about measures to protect children.
“That's what makes this event come to life,” the center for missing children New York Branch Executive Director Ed Suk said. “That's what makes this ride so important.”
Teachers and riders at each of the five schools taught students ways to keep themselves safe in the weeks preceding the ride, Suk said. The instruction culminated in a short rally Friday as riders pulled up to cheering children and delivered messages of safety.
In addition to spreading the word about safety, riders raised funds to benefit the center for missing children's New York branch, supporting programs like child identification, school-based education programs, and the creation and distribution of posters to help find missing children.
Kurt Werner, chairman of the Finger Lakes Ride Organizational Committee, said the funds have not been tallied yet, but in past years the event has raised between $22,000 to $24,000.
Werner first organized the event six years ago as a way to bring the messages the center for missing children disseminates to the local area. Before the Finger Lakes ride, the center for missing children's closest organized rides were in Rochester and Utica.
“I thought the message of safety was just as important here,” he said.
Additionally, riders heard the story of Scott Berne, an adult survivor of parental abduction and author of the book “Extraordinary Circumstances.”
Many riders said that raising awareness for missing and exploited children and establishing preventative programs in schools was of the utmost importance and a main factor for participating in the event.
Aaron Hopkins, of Cazenovia, has always been a long-distance athlete, but he didn't participate in his first the center for missing children ride for himself.
Pinned to his ride jersey was a photo of Heidi Allen who was forcibly abducted in 1994 at a convenience store in New Haven. While two brothers were arrested and found guilty of kidnapping in 1995, Allen was never found. She was 18 years old at the time.
His friend and neighbor is Allen's sister.
“The more people that come out and ride, the more money that is raised,” Hopkins said. “It brings about awareness that we need to stop the predation of kids.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
On Friday, Coleman pedaled his bicycle 100 miles around Cayuga and Onondaga counties to do just that as he participated in the sixth annual Finger Lakes Ride for Missing Children.
Hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children New York Branch, about 60 riders from all across central and western New York mounted their bikes and participated in a paced ride led by law enforcement that began and ended at Emerson Park with stops at schools in Jordan, Baldwinsville, Cato, Owasco and Aurelius along the way.
At each stop, riders passed on information to children and teachers about measures to protect children.
“That's what makes this event come to life,” the center for missing children New York Branch Executive Director Ed Suk said. “That's what makes this ride so important.”
Teachers and riders at each of the five schools taught students ways to keep themselves safe in the weeks preceding the ride, Suk said. The instruction culminated in a short rally Friday as riders pulled up to cheering children and delivered messages of safety.
In addition to spreading the word about safety, riders raised funds to benefit the center for missing children's New York branch, supporting programs like child identification, school-based education programs, and the creation and distribution of posters to help find missing children.
Kurt Werner, chairman of the Finger Lakes Ride Organizational Committee, said the funds have not been tallied yet, but in past years the event has raised between $22,000 to $24,000.
Werner first organized the event six years ago as a way to bring the messages the center for missing children disseminates to the local area. Before the Finger Lakes ride, the center for missing children's closest organized rides were in Rochester and Utica.
“I thought the message of safety was just as important here,” he said.
Additionally, riders heard the story of Scott Berne, an adult survivor of parental abduction and author of the book “Extraordinary Circumstances.”
Many riders said that raising awareness for missing and exploited children and establishing preventative programs in schools was of the utmost importance and a main factor for participating in the event.
Aaron Hopkins, of Cazenovia, has always been a long-distance athlete, but he didn't participate in his first the center for missing children ride for himself.
Pinned to his ride jersey was a photo of Heidi Allen who was forcibly abducted in 1994 at a convenience store in New Haven. While two brothers were arrested and found guilty of kidnapping in 1995, Allen was never found. She was 18 years old at the time.
His friend and neighbor is Allen's sister.
“The more people that come out and ride, the more money that is raised,” Hopkins said. “It brings about awareness that we need to stop the predation of kids.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
