[Archived] Alexandria Partners with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children To Launch Blue Ribbon Campaign

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2005
PIO 105-05/rdo

Alexandria Partners with National Center for Missing
& Exploited Children To Launch Blue Ribbon Campaign
Mayor, City Council and Alexandria City Public Schools Promote Child Safety for Alexandria

Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, the City Council and the Alexandria City Public Schools are partnering with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to launch the Hand in Hand with Children: Guiding and Protecting – Alexandria’s Blue Ribbon Campaign in April. Since April is national Child Abuse Prevention Month and symbolized with a blue ribbon, the City will host a series of events for youth and their parents that focus on the safety, prevention, intervention and well-being of children. The month will feature daily events sponsored by various local agencies and organizations.

Participants of the month-long campaign include: Alexandria City Public Schools; Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities; Community Services Board; Health Department; Office on Women; Department of Human Services; Fire Department; Police Department; Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia; Network Preschool; The Campagna Center; Tenants and Workers Support Committee; and the Alexandria Model Court’s Coalition for Alexandria’s Youngest Children. Some of the activities that will be held are the Teens & Driving, Preventing Accidents Teen Forum; the Resources and Help for Women and Families Workshop; Building Youth Assets Family Day programs; and the Youth Job Fair.

“Selecting even one event to participate in during the month will help raise community awareness about our most valued assets…our youth,” said Mayor Euille. “Just looking at the number of events honoring the Blue Ribbon Campaign shows the level of commitment all of the City’s public and private partners have to children and families. We are grateful to NCMEC for bringing this event to our city.”

“This is an important opportunity for the City of Alexandria to partner with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and to incorporate outreach into all communities throughout the City,” said City Councilman Ludwig Gaines who spearheaded the initiative. “The partnership is the first of its kind in the region and one of only a handful of partnerships in the nation.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that serves as a national clearinghouse for information and a resource for child protection.
NCMEC works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. Since it’s establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 104,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 89,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, visit www.missingkids.com or call 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information on Alexandria’s Blue Ribbon Campaign or to receive a complete list of events that will be held throughout April, call the City’s Department of Human Services at 703.838.0701 or visit alexandriava.gov.

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