National Missing Children's Day
On May 25th, 1979, six-year-old Etan Patz kissed his mother goodbye and started off to catch the school bus waiting just two blocks from his New York City home. It was the first time Etan had ever been allowed to walk to the bus stop alone. His mother, Julia, stood and watched as her son playfully made his way down the first block. In those few moments it would have taken Etan Patz to walk the remaining block, he disappeared.

There are thousands of horrifying stories just like Etan’s all across North America, stories of children who seemingly vanish without a trace. For the families of these children, the years can go by without any answers, and pain and emptiness remain a constant companion. Hope may begin to fade.

In commemoration of all missing children, the anniversary of Etan's disappearance was first designated as Missing Children's Day by a U.S. Presidential Proclamation in 1983. Canada followed suit in 1986, when Solicitor General Perrin Beatty declared May 25th as National Missing Children's Day on behalf of the Canadian government.

“Light the Way Home” For Missing Children
Our Light the Way Home campaign, now in its 16th year, runs during the month of May each year leading up to National Missing Children's Day on May 25th.

Make a Connection:  Light a Candle on May 25th
The public is invited to join the country in lighting a candle at 8:00pm on the evening of May 25th, National Missing Children's Day. Through this simple act, all Canadians and their families can make a personal connection with the hope and commitment we share with searching families everywhere.

Give Hope:  Send a "Message of Hope"
We also invite the public to directly show your support for our searching families by sending a personal "Message of Hope". Your heartfelt and touching messages will be collected and shared with our searching families as a show of your support in their continued search.

Last year, we received thousands of incredible Messages of Hope from people across the country.  Your messages have been featured in many special projects that we share with our searching families, including an art project that we are currently creating in time for the 2012 LTWH campaign. The response we get from these messages is always overwhelmingly emotional - and we thank everyone who sent in their personal message.

Take Action:  Commit to your I STOP action
Through our I STOP movement, you can take a personal action to stop child abduction.  I STOP aims to engage 1 million Canadians in taking a personal action against abduction – with every action, no matter how small or large, combining to end child abduction in Canada. People and corporations across Canada are finding a personal way to bring an end to child abduction.

Our I STOP movement calls on Canadians to connect with their own communities in a way that is meaningful to them, and join us in the search for our missing children.  Check our I STOP page for more details.


GET INVOLVED 
We invite you to take part in our Light The Way Home campaign.  We welcome the opportunity to work with you to involve groups such as:

• Families
• Corporate Employee Engagement Programs
• Schools
• Community Groups