The Center for HOPE would like to invite you to join with other families to commemorate New York State 12th Annual Missing Persons Day. 

When: Saturday, April 6, 2013 (9:15 am- 3:30pm -Registration starts at 9:00).

Location:  New York State Museum and Cultural Education Center on 310 Madison Ave. Albany, NY.

Parking: Free parking is available in lots on either side of the museum.

Cost: This is no charge for attending.

The morning session is exclusively for families affected by the disappearance of a loved one, including still missing, missing and recovered deceased, and missing and returned safely. Our intent is to provide a relaxed setting for families to share ways of coping and keeping hope alive. Pre registration is required.  

We are pleased to announce: 

• Duane Bowers will be joining us as the morning facilitator. Duane is a nationally known educator, therapist and author. His book, Guiding Your Family Though Loss and Grief, is especially relevant.

• Lori Bruski from (NamUs) National Missing and Unidentified Persons System will be with us.  If your loved one's case is registered, she will be able to check the records for completeness and make suggestions for adding additional information. You are encouraged to bring photographs, dental records, radiographs (X-rays) to update the databases. These will be scanned on-site and immediately returned

The afternoon session is also open to law enforcement, support organizations and all who support missing person issues.

Schedule Overview for the day:

• 9:00 Morning Registration-(coffee & muffins provided).

• 12:00 Lunch will be provided.

• 1:00 Afternoon program.

• 3:15 Closing ceremonies at the Remembrance Monument adjacent to the Museum.

Please RSVP by March 23, 2013. The Center for HOPE~ email address: hope4themissing@yahoo.com, phone and fax number is 518-884-8761.

Travel, lodging information and details about the day will be available on request.
 
We will be looking forward to hearing from you,
 

                                                                  Doug and Mary Lyall

                                                                  Co-founders of the Center for Hope

Saturday, August 25, 2012.7:30am until 9:00pm. BRENNAN'S SCHOOLHOUSE INN, Rt. 81 Earlton, NY Each year without fail, with the support of family, friends & our community we come together to RIDE FOR AUDREY. This will be our 10th year Riding for Audrey. On August 29, 2002, Audrey May Turk Herron left her work in Jefferson Heights, NY headed home. Both she & her... vehicle vanished. A young mother of three with countless family & friends STILL MISSING. Since 2006 we have also ridden in support of THE CENTER FOR HOPE. An amazing organization founded by Mary & Doug Lyall, parents of STILL MISSING, Suzanne Lyall. THE CENTER FOR HOPE supports ALL families with a missing loved one in New York & beyond. This will be our final year riding with hope that someone, somewhere out there will come forward to help us bring her home. The ride will include bringing ribbons to the hospital & being hung in the tree where Audrey was last seen. We encourage not only our riders but anyone who would like to via car, to join us as well so that you may hang a ribbon of remembrance for Audrey, her children, family & friends. All are invited for the benefit/fundraiser concluding the ride back at Brennan's as always. For more information visit: Riding4audrey.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIDING-FOR-AUDREY-Missing-Mother-of-Three/10150114936860058

Nearly 200 survivors, friends of missing persons and interested parties attended the 11th annual New York State Missing Persons Day Ceremony at the NYS Museum Cultural Education Center, in Albany, NY on Saturday. Missing Persons Day, April 6th, Suzanne Lyall’s birthday, was proclaimed by former Governor George Pataki, in New York State, as a special day to provide an opportunity for those affected by the pain and loss of a loved one, to reflect, remember, and to join with others to honor all missing persons. This year families came from as far away as Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Texas and Maryland. The morning session provided an opportunity for families, on ways to cope and how to keep hope alive. Crystal Moore served as the facilitator for a family roundtable session. Crystal is the daughter of Christine Betty Moore who has been missing since 1971. Ms. Moore is an Associate Professor and Social Work Program Director at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. The Center for HOPE, founded by Doug and Mary Lyall, has sponsored NYS Missing Persons Day for the last 11 years. “Since we have known the pain of having a missing loved one, we can offer the example of our own journey to healing as encouragement to those still taking the first steps,” said Mary Lyall. “By doing so, we hope to not only inspire others dealing with having a missing family member but also to make sense of our own pain.”. Doug Lyall stated, “Missing Persons Day provides families of missing loved ones education, support and guidance for each other. The Missing Persons Day annual ceremony continues to create awareness on this issue. Collectively, we offer one another hope.” Assemblyman James Tedisco, presided over the event, which provided education, networking and support for survivors of missing persons. Assemblyman Tedisco stated “The unexpected and unexplained disappearance of a loved one is clouded with uncertainty, and families often fluctuate between hope and hopelessness. Missing Persons Day and this ceremony offer families and friends of missing loved ones an opportunity to garnish support from one another and to remember that there is hope.” The annual HOPE Award was presented to New York State Cultural and Education Center. The award was established to recognize outstanding support, dedication and commitment promoting awareness of missing person’s issues in New York State. The featured guest speaker was Edward Suk, Executive Director of the New York State Division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), provided families an opportunity to submit their DNA samples for comparison to unidentified decedents. At the conclusion of the day families held a candlelight vigil at the Missing Persons Remembrance. As a token of their love, they placed a yellow rose wreath to remember their missing loved ones.

BLUE HILL GOLF COURSE Thank you for your support at our last six Outings which has allowed us to award college scholarships to Nanuet High School student athletes and donate funds to local charities, such as Camp Venture and People to People. Funds were also donated to the The Center for HOPE, a support group for families of missing persons, and to the ALS Association. All monies raised from the Outings have been donated to these worthy causes. Our 10th Annual Michael McDermott Golf Outing is set for Thursday, July 5, 2012. Festivities start at 11:00 with bar-b-que lunch at Emmett's Castle located at the Blue Hill Course, Pearl River, NY. Followed by a round of golf on the Blue Hill Course and continues at the Hibernian House located at Rail Road Ave., Pearl River. Thanks for your support at our prior Outings. If you have missed the adventure, check YouTube and go to Michael McDermott golf to see some unique techniques on display by last year's participants. Please Spread the word---details will follow. Once again, many thanks for making this an annual success and we look forward to seeing you then. Please spread the word. Kathy, Dan and Ryan (845) 623-6367