PORT BYRON - They were screaming from the sidewalk, bouncing up and down, and blurring the words of encouragement colored on their streamer-laden paper signs in anticipation of when 60 bicyclists would whoosh past their school.

An electric blue and pink sea of bikers in matching shirts approached, two by two, and the squealing grew louder, the signs shook more violently. The pint-sized bodies bounced higher and arms jutted out, fingers outstretched, to high-five the bikers, who had ridden 50 miles, so far, to raise money for children less fortunate than them - happy, excited and safe.

AA Gates Elementary School in Port Byron was one of five stops on the 100-mile Ride for Missing Children, an

annual bicycle ride that raises money for the Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which works to find the thousands of children who go missing every day and to educate about preventing child abduction. More than 2,000 children go missing every day; 3,300 are reported missing in western New York each year.

The ride Friday, which began in Auburn, went east to Baldwinsville, then circled back to its starting point, was one of five New York rides that raise thousands of dollars for educational resources to teach children Internet and outdoor safety, a preventative approach to improving the statistics.

“When you're a parent and think that could have happened to your children - it's hard to find words,” said Martha Loeffler, of Skaneateles, a ride participant whose children are now 28 and 25.

Loeffler was among the dozens of riders who stretched their calves, tightened their helmet straps and adjusted their bikes in the parking lot of the Auburn Correctional Facility Training Facility early Friday morning.

“It's a very inspiring thing,” Loeffler said.

The ride stopped at several local schools, where, earlier in the week, center representatives had given presentations about Internet safety.

“A little fear is a good thing,” said Gail Calloway, a character education program co-chair at Skaneateles Middle School, where students learned to not trust strangers, post pictures or share personal information on the Internet.

Calloway said Skaneateles students had been very responsive to the Internet safety presentation and to the ride's purpose because they wanted to help the children their own age who they saw were in trouble.

The eighth-grade classes raised more than $100 in three days for the center, Calloway said.

Other students welcomed riders with signs that said “You rock!,” “Just keep riding!” and “Find those children!!”

After the bikers had made their grand entrance, students swarmed around Clicky, a yellow robot from the center's Internet safety presentation, who reiterated Internet safety lessons while busting a move with his fans.

Nearby, bikers refueled with Gatorade, bagels and other snacks. But almost as soon as they had demounted their rides, a rallying call of “Five minutes! Five minutes!” could be heard in the mix of dance music, giggling and safety tips. There were 33 miles left to their ride, too many children missing and no time to lose.

Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net