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WEEKLY NEWS 4: Golf Pros Help Find Missing Kids

In pro golf, it's not unusual to see corporate logos or sponsorship on a player's bag. But during the PGA TOUR and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, certain bags show something a little different and more important--the faces of missing children.

For the third year in a row, Canon4Kids--established to help locate missing children across America--will again be part of the PGA TOUR. Later this year, it will be featured for the second consecutive year on the LPGA Tour. Participating golfers place digital photos of missing children on their golf bags, along with a phone number (1-800-THE-LOST) for people to call if they recognize the children or have any information that might lead to recovery.

The effort is a collaboration among participating golfers, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Canon U.S.A. The goal is to raise awareness about America's missing children, help bring them home, and make families aware of the urgent need to have recent digital photos of their children available in case of an emergency.

Participating golfers include PGA player Briny Baird and LPGA player Michelle McGann. Baird ranked 69th on the 2004 PGA TOUR money list and ended the year with a strong second place finish at the FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World. Michelle McGann is a seven-time winner on the LPGA. In 1988, she qualified for her first LPGA Tour when she was just 18-years-old. She was ranked the nation's top amateur by GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest in 1987, and is tied with the best playoff record (4-0) in LPGA history.

According to U.S. Department of Justice research, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing annually--more than 2,000 each day. One in six children featured in NCMEC's photo-distribution network is found directly by people who see the pictures and contact NCMEC or local authorities.

For more information, go to www.usa.canon.com/Canon4Kids or www.missingkids.com.

Article courtesy of Newstream.com

Visit their website at www.newstream.com


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