LINCOLN — The last time Carolyn Pospisil said goodbye to her stepdaughter Erin was when the girl left her Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home to watch a movie at a friend's house.
That was in 2001. Erin, 15 at the time, has not been seen since.
Pospisil, now a Bellevue resident, was part of a group that gathered Friday night at the State Capitol to support “The Ride for Their Lives,” a bike riding campaign for the Surviving Parents Coalition.
About 60 people attended, Lincoln police said.
The coalition is made up of 43 members, all parents whose children were abducted, sexually assaulted, killed, recovered or still missing.
Ed Smart and Ahmad Rivazfar, parents whose children were involved in high-profile cases, head up the cycling campaign.
They are cycling from Rochester, N.Y., to Los Angeles to tell their story and challenge people to get involved in child advocacy.
In 2002, Smart's daughter Elizabeth was held captive and sexually assaulted for nine months until she was returned to her family.
Rivazfar's two daughters, ages 6 and 8, were abducted in 1988. They were sexually assaulted. One daughter escaped, and one was killed.
Also speaking at the event were Joe Kelly, chief deputy Lancaster County attorney; U.S. Marshal Eric Mayo; Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady; and representatives from Lincoln's Child Advocacy Center.
“It's the responsibility of adults and parents to step up,” said Lynn Ayers, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center. “They need to talk to community leaders and get involved in advocacy groups.”
Smart and Rivazfar reminded the crowd that the effort was not simply about the duo riding bikes across the country.
“It's about the children. We have to keep them safe,” Smart said.
The coalition has helped parents like Pospisil grieve but also build hope.
“Her face is out there,” Pospisil said. “It's getting the names and faces out there of the kids — not just Erin.''
The event was hosted by Jannel Rap, a Los Angeles musician whose sister Gina Bos, also a musician, disappeared from Duggan's Pub in Lincoln in 2000.
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