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Karen Scullin reportingTurn your porch lights on, make your headlights bright: those are a couple of ways that you can show support for familes of missing children.
It's National Missing Children's Day and the idea is to raise awareness.
The mother of Cache County murder victim Trisa Autry has started a foundation to help families of missing children.
And Ed Smart, Elizabeth Smart's father, spoke with Eyewitness News about why he feels it's so important to keep the issue on the front burner.
As Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped and held for nine months, the Salt Lake community and the entire nation searched, until she was home. It seems everyone knew Elizabeth Smart, knew she was missing, and knew if they were in the right place at the right time, they could be the key to her safe return.
We now know, thanks to a couple of alert citizens, that's exactly what happened.
Ed Smart/Elizabeth Smart's Father: "WE FEEL SO THANKFUL TO HAVE HAD THE ATTENTION, THE HELP, THE SEARCHERS, THE LOVE THE SUPPORT, I COULD GO ON AND ON, OF SO MANY PEOPLE"
On National Missing Children's Day, remembered with white ribbons, Ed Smart says he felt compelled to step forward to help raise awareness.
He believes in a nation coming together for all missing children, just like they did for Elizabeth.
Ed Smart: "THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THAT HELP. AND I FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT IS SOMETHING ..IT'S ONE THING I CAN DO"
Smart says it was hard to see where Elizabeth was forced to live for several months, just a few miles from home. Although he admits it will never be the same, Elizabeth is very strong, and doing well. She has the chance now to live a long and happy life. He knows it's an opportunity not all missing children get.
"Ed Smart: EVERYONE WANTS TO COME UP AND HUG HER AS THEY SEE HER. HOW DOES SHE FEEL ABOUT THAT? YA KNOW, SHE KNOWS PEOPLE MEAN WELL AND UH, IT'S JUST A TESTIMONY TO THE LOVE OF HUMANITY"
Still missing to this day is fourteen year old Kiplyn Davis. She vanished eight years ago, May 2nd, 1995 in Spanish Fork.
Every year, 800 thousand children are reported missing. 58 thousand of them are abducted by non-family members.
