Missing children focus of local events

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Organizers from the Missing Child Center-Hawai'i and the Hawaii Missing Children's Clearinghouse Advisory Board have planned a series of local events this week to draw public attention to National Missing Children's Day, which is Saturday.

Each year an average of 11,000 missing children are reported statewide, said Carol Hee, program coordinator of the Missing Child Center-Hawai'i. Most of these reports are runaway cases, Hee said. But whether a child is missing as a result of running away, a family abduction or a stranger abduction, they're all causes for concern, she said.

The purpose of the events this week, Hee said, "is basically to heighten public awareness that this is an issue so that people will hopefully educate themselves and their children (to prevent) this from happening, and to provide support for those families still searching for their children."

Public events include:

• A free Aloha Concert featuring the Waikiki Sons, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Tamarind Park.
• A "Sow Seeds of Hope" seed-packet giveaway, to show support for families of missing children, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the State Capitol.
• A candlelight vigil, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, to remember all missing children and to offer a renewal of hope to those families still searching for their children.

Call 753-9797 for more information.