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The U.S. Department of Justice held its 24th annual commemoration of National Missing Children's Day on May 18, 2007, at the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, DC. Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, opened the ceremony, followed by remarks from William W. Mercer, Acting Associate Attorney General.

The annual commemoration, organized by OJJDP, recognizes law enforcement personnel and private citizens for outstanding efforts on behalf of missing and exploited children. Tamara Brooks, who was herself abducted in 2002, delivered a message of hope. This year's ceremony also included a video with insights from siblings of abducted children.

In his keynote address, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said:

I am grateful for the commitment and sacrifice of people from every walk of life who have worked for the safe recovery of missing children. While many of these children return home safely, the death or disappearance of just one child is a price no parent should have to bear—and no civilized society should accept. That’s why today I’m
proud to honor those who have given their time and energy to protecting our country’s
most valuable resource.

The Attorney General also introduced the new OJJDP publication, What About Me? Coping With the Abduction of a Brother or Sister, which was written by the sisters and brothers of abducted children for their counterparts across the country. The Justice Department created this survival guide to ensure these children have the support and assistance they need. The guide contains information to help and support children of all ages when a sibling is abducted.

Assistant Attorney General Schofield, who is the National AMBER Alert Coordinator, introduced the Missing Children's Day award winners. She presented the AMBER Alert Citizen Award to the McArdle Family of Ashville, NC, for their assistance in identifying the vehicle of a suspect and ultimately, the rescue of two abducted young people. In addition, she presented the AMBER Alert Law Enforcement Award to Sergeant Mark Simpson of Arlington, TX, who was instrumental in helping to make the national AMBER Alert plan a reality. A full list of award recipients appears at the end of this article.

The ceremony opened and closed with songs from the World Children's Choir.

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales	Assistant Attorney General Regina B. Schofield and Tamara Brooks
The McArdle Family	Rachel Stevenson, of St. Mary's School, Elyria, OH, accepts the 2007 Art Contest Award at the event. Next year's poster will be based on her design.

Catherine Braun, a student at Our Lady of the Snows School, Eugene, OR, won the 2006 Missing Children's Day Art Contest Award. A poster, shown above, based on her winning design was featured in the 2007 event.

For more information on the award winners, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/whatsnew/pdfs/award_recipients.pdf