The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Celebrates Hope

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) recognized outstanding efforts to protect children at its annual Hope Awards.  The honorees included actor Bryan Cranston and his wife Robin Dearden for their long-time support of NCMEC, abduction survivor Jaycee Dugard and her family for their example of courage and resilience and Steve Largent and CTIA-The Wireless Association® for their efforts to bring the AMBER Alert program to wireless devices. 

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"These honorees have inspired us with their stories of survival, innovation and devotion to helping children," said NCMEC CEO John Ryan.  "They are an example to us all."

The event, coming just a day after the safe recovery of three missing women in Cleveland, Ohio, celebrated the hope that stories like Dugard's and those of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michele Knight offer to families who are still searching for their missing children.

The Hope Awards is held each year in May and is part of NCMEC's recognition of National Missing Children's Day (May 25).   

*Photos and video from the event are available upon request

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984.  Designated by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on issues related to missing and exploited children, the organization operates the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 3,762,000 calls.  It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 185,000 children.  The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 1,893,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 88,736,000 child pornography images and videos.  The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com. Follow NCMEC on Twitter (@MissingKids) and like NCMEC on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/MissingKids).  

SOURCE The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children