RALEIGH -- Thousands of children go missing each year across the country. In North Carolina, more than 8,300 kids were reported missing last year. While most are runaways who eventually return home, sadly many others are considered endangered and need the community's help to return them safely to their families.

To draw attention to the issue of missing children, the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons, a division within the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, is encouraging fifth graders in Wake and Durham counties to participate in an art contest. The theme is, “Bring Our Missing Children Home.” The winning design will compete with entries from other states as part of the national contest.

The national contest is being sponsored by the US Department of Justice, through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Child Protection Division. While this is the tenth year for the national art contest, this is the first year North Carolina has participated in the competition.

The winner for the national poster contest will be displayed at the National Missing Children's Day ceremony in Washington in late May.  The national winner will travel with his or her parents and teacher to receive an award and participate in the ceremony at the nation's capital. 

National Missing Children's Day began in 1982 with a proclamation by President Reagan to mark the anniversary of the day six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on the way to school. Etan became the symbol for lost children all over America. The AMBER Alert program began in 1996 as a way for broadcasters and law enforcement to coordinate efforts to alert the public about abducted children. The program, which stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, was created as a legacy to nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, then brutally murdered.

About 50 AMBER Alerts have been issued in North Carolina since the program began in 2002. Of those, 49 were reunited safely with their families.

Contest Rules:

Who's Eligible:   5^th graders in Wake and Durham counties.

One winning entry from each school can be 

sent to compete in the state contest.

Requirements:      Finished poster must measure 11 x 14.

Artwork should reflect the theme:
“Bring Our Missing Children Home”

This phrase must appear on the poster. The

theme must be depicted visually using:

acrylics, water color, pencil, charcoal,

magic markers, crayons, etc.

Deadline:             March 9, 2009