Though many are recovered quickly, in any year almost 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States. On Thursday, September 6 Check ‘n Go and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^® (NCMEC) will announce a new partnership to bring hope to searching families.

Check ‘n Go, a leading national provider of consumer financial services, will feature color photos of missing children from NCMEC’s database in each of its approximately 1,350 stores across the country. The photos will be distributed in 13 geographical regions allowing targeted distribution to areas where the children are believed to be located.

Photos are a powerful, effective tool for law enforcement and one in six missing children whose photos are featured in NCMEC’s photo distribution program are recovered as a direct result of someone recognizing their photo.

To celebrate the launch of this partnership, Check 'n Go and NCMEC have invited Miami-area families to attend a Child ID Kit event. Special agents from the Secret Service will provide FREE Child ID Kits, complete with photographs and fingerprinting.

Location: Check 'n Go (at Bird Road and 98th Avenue)

Address: 9801 SW 40th Street, Miami Florida

Visuals include:

• Secret Service special agents creating Child ID Kits: Agents will fingerprint and photograph children for ID Kits that will be given to parents.
• Unveiling of in-store Missing Children’s Photos: Check ‘n Go COO Doug Clark and NCMEC Chairman-elect Ralph Parilla will unveil the missing children photo display at 3:15 p.m. All photos are of missing Florida children. Special guest speakers will include Patrick Sessions, whose daughter Tiffany went missing in 1989.
• Interview Opportunities: The following Check ‘n Go leadership and NCMEC representatives will be available to talk about this new partnership:
  • Ralph Parilla, NCMEC Chairman-elect, South Florida businessman
  • Nancy McBride, Florida-based NCMEC National Safety Director
  • Doug Clark, Check ‘n Go COO
  • Dawn Campbell Giesman, Check ‘n Go Charity Spokesperson
  • Patrick Sessions, father of Tiffany Session, a Florida child who has been missing since 1989, also will be available to talk about his experience with a missing daughter and the importance of photo distribution.
    * Bios for each available upon request.

Andy Sullivan, Dan Pinger Public Relations, 513-564-0700
Dawn Campbell Giesman, Check ‘n Go Spokesperson, 513-305-5790 (cell)