Efforts to find a child who vanished more than three decades ago have turned into an international event to remember all missing children. On May 25, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz went missing on his way to school in New York City. The missing boy was the first child whose face appeared on a milk carton and President Ronald Reagan later proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children's Day. This year (2010), nine countries in addition to the U.S. helped raise awareness for missing children by commemorating International Missing Children's Day, which is also observed on May 25.

The Manhattan District Attorney marked the anniversary by announcing that he will take a fresh look at the Patz case and review evidence collected against a convicted child molester now serving 20 years in a Pennsylvania prison.

Capital Honors

At a special 2010 Missing Children's Day ceremony in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder honored law enforcement officers and citizens for helping in the recovery of missing children. "The extraordinary efforts of the men and women we recognize today have awakened family after family from the nightmare of having a missing child, and, when there can be no solace, helped them to recover from unthinkable loss," said Holder.

The following individuals were honored at the event:

1. North Carolina Assistant District Attorney Kelly Miller for helping secure a 115-to-142.5-year prison sentence for a man who was sexually abusing his 8-year-old niece while her mother was deployed to Iraq.
2. Phoenix FBI Special Agent Michael J. Conrad for assisting in the recovery of an abducted 2-year-old child.
3. Tombstone, Arizona postal employees James Pantoja, Tony Palma and Denultra Camp for distributing a missing child poster which helped in the safe recovery of a 9-year-old child.
4. Miami FBI Special Agents Catherine Koontz and James T. Lewis for pursuing child pornography cases and eventually identifying 8 children who had been sexually abused.
5. Lajas, Puerto Rico fifth grader Billy Joe Reyes Collado for creating the winning poster for the 2010 Missing Children's Day Art Contest.

"Law enforcement officers and prosecutors see the most broken parts of broken lives," said Assistant Attorney General and National AMBER Alert Coordinator Laurie O. Robinson. "But these men and women have managed to channel their shock and outrage into a sense of duty. And because of their actions, these horrible perpetrators have been brought to justice – and young children have been saved – removed from danger."

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) President and CEO Ernie Allen spoke at the event about how companies like Google, Microsoft and others have helped develop technology to stop the exploitation of children. "These fierce competitors agreed to work together with us toward a common goal, eradicating commercial child pornography," said Allen.

The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs also released two publications at the ceremony: "The Crime of Family Abduction: A Child's and Parent's Perspective," which offers insight into how a child abduction by a family member affects the child and the family, and the fourth edition of "When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide."

Around the U.S.A.

Here are some highlights on how Missing Children's Day was recognized around the United States:

• The direct-mail company Valassis celebrated the 25th anniversary of its "Have you seen me?" program by distributing four-page missing children insert to 44 million households.
• A record number of motorcycle riders participated in the Ride for Missing Children in New York. The 443 riders stopped at elementary schools that helped raise money and released balloons to honor a missing student.
• The Pennsylvania Turnpike held "Safety-Breaks" at two of its busiest plazas which included presentations on how to prevent abductions and locate missing children.
• People were urged to "Take 25" minutes to teach children how to stay safe online in Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, New York and other states.
• The Minnesota AMBER Alert Network held a "Dining to Donate" event to raise money and awareness with an event that included free fingerprint ID kits, face painting, McGruff the Crime Dog and the Los Padrinos Lowrider Car Club.
• Electronic billboards in Loveland, Colorado displayed more than 100 missing children May 1–25.

Indian Country

Indian Tribes from across the southwest observed Missing Children's Day by learning how to bring missing and abducted children home. Law enforcement officials, child protection advocates and community leaders gathered at the Harrah's Ak-Chin Indian Community Resort in Maricopa, Arizona, May 25. The training session included the latest child protection strategies as well as a traditional blessing and Native dance. On the same day, the Tribal councils for the Ak-Chin, Tohono O'odhom and White Mountain Apache Tribes announced their AMBER Alert resolutions.

Around the World

International Missing Children's Day was commemorated in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Romania, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The nine countries held events to raise awareness about missing children issues, including:

• Brazil hosted a one-day missing children seminar and released balloons.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police unveiled its annual report on missing children, released balloons and honored a law enforcement officer who helped recover a missing child.
• The Dutch National Police visited local schools to discuss missing children's issues and released 500 balloons.
• The Australian Federal Police created a website where virtual balloons can be released and includes a public service announcement. Visit www.helpbringthemhome.org.au.

The United Kingdom launched the Child Rescue Alert.

"We urge you to join us in spreading the message of hope and help to bring these children home," said Nancy Dube, Executive Vice President and CEO of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.