100 cyclists biked 100 miles throughout Saratoga County Friday on behalf of missing children.
“It’s amazing, beautiful, cool morning, not too hot right now. It’s perfect, perfect,” said Ira Share.
Ira Share is dressed in a white, pink and blue biking jersey standing in the parking lot of the Saratoga County Sheriff Department’s. He’s been participating in and helping organize the annual Albany Ride For Missing Children since 2013.
“Our main focus is to keep our children safe. To educate them on how to be safe in their communities. To teach them all about checking first before you go anywhere and take a friend, tell a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right, say no and go, all those things. And that’s what we actually say when we get to schools, we walk up to the kids and say “tell me some safety rules,” and we review it with them, it’s great,” said Share.
It’s one of the last stops for the group ride that began at 7 a.m.
In addition to raising awareness, the annual ride, which began in 2007, funds education opportunities for schools throughout Saratoga County. Along the ride they’ve stopped at a number of schools where the organization has sent counselors to run education sessions to help prevent child abductions.
Share, like many riders, is wearing a pin honoring a missing individual.
“Well, it gives the families hope and it also lets them know that we never forget. We never forget their missing person. It’s a tough road for these families of missing people, we have several families riding with us and on our board and families right here sitting down. It’s—riding 100 miles is easy compared to what they go through every single day,” said Share.
In 1993, Sara Anne Wood was abducted and murdered in Oneida County, New York. While her killer was found and confessed, her body was never located.
Cari Alukonis is Wood’s cousin. She says the community built through rides like this is invaluable.
“It means a lot. I’m very flattered that people took this into their heart and they have been so supportive and this has been a healing thing for me because it can feel isolating. When somebody in your family goes missing you feel like there’s nobody else and nobody else can understand it and then meeting other family members and meeting other people who are involved and stuff it just became like a second family for me,” said Alukonis.
Marc Ritter came from Utica, where he’s been participating in a similar ride for nearly three decades.
“I mean, we’d like to put ourselves out of business. We’d like to not ever have to do this, but unfortunately there is evil in this world. But there’s much more good, and when you surround yourself with all this good around here, it’s a wonderful thing,” said Ritter.
Saratoga County Undersheriff Jeff Brown said he’s happy to see the department help escort the riding group each year.
“Oh, it’s fantastic. I think we’ve been participating in this ride for 7 years and it’s a fantastic event and the mission is super important. So, if we can save one child that’s amazing so, the work that they do, the outreach, and certainly the way we can remember our missing, especially children, it’s a nice tribute,” said Brown.
