2008 Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring John Walsh
Making a Difference in the Fight to Keep our Children Safe
The Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Award Gala honoring John Walsh on October 11 in Salt Lake City will benefit the following charities. The Gala is underwritten by corporate sponsors, so all donations and sponsorship revenues go directly to these benefiting organizations.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Since its establishment by Congress in 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children’s hotline which has handled more than 2.2 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 126,000 children. The organization’s CyberTipline has handled more than 594,000 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification program has analyzed 14,437,865 child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Funds raised through the Operation Kids events will help fund prevention education initiatives including NetSmartz and Take25. These programs bring vital information to children, parents, educators, and law enforcement. For more information, visit www.missingkids.com.
National McGruff Safe House Network
First established in 1982 in Salt Lake City, the McGruff Safe House Network provides temporary havens for children who find themselves in frightening or dangerous situations. McGruff Houses are set up in communities around the country to offer a temporary haven for children who find themselves in a frightening or dangerous situation. All programs partner with a school or school system, a law enforcement agency, and a community organization (parent group, neighborhood watch, civic or service organization, etc.) There are currently more than 30,000 safe houses in 44 states.
Funds raised though the John Walsh gala will be used to pay for needed training and educational materials as McGruff continues to expand. For more information, visit www.operationkids.org/mcgruff_house.html.
Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC)
The Utah Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) uses cutting edge technology combined with dedicated and experience criminal investigators to identify and apprehend criminals who use the internet to sexually exploit children. ICAC's main focus is on attacking the creation and distribution of child pornography, as well as stopping those who entice children into sexual contacts.
The Utah Attorney General ICAC is the only law enforcement group in the nation to be awarded the FBI Director's Award, the National Child Defender Award, and the Utah Peace Officer Association President's Award. ICAC members have been recognized for their tremendous contributions to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Child Victim Identification Project, as agents have painstakingly identified children exploited in child pornography films and photographs and stopped their further abuse.
ICAC will use Operation Kids contributions to purchase needed hardware and software to expand its operations, hire additional officers, and increase its community education efforts.
