Bicyclists pedal for missing children

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Western New Yorkers are using pedal power to help in the search for missing children.

You may have seen bicyclists in bright shirts riding through Erie County on Friday. Their bike trek raised money for the New York region of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Over sixty bike riders took part in the fourth annual Ride for Missing Children. They want to draw attention to the plight of missing and exploited children. The riders stopped at various schools along their route. Assemblies were held to teach children safety along with simple rules to avoid becoming a victim of child predators both in public and on the internet.

Patty McLain of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said, "The general public needs to be aware that, unfortunately, we still teach children not to talk to strangers, when most often it's not a stranger that either assaults, molests, abducts a child. It's more important to give the empowerment messages that make them feel strong whether they're on the internet or outside riding their bike or at a school-related function."

News 4 is a sponsor of the Ride for Missing Children. All of the money raised will support programs at the Regional Center for Missing and Exploited Children.