Paula Bali doesn’t want another family to go through what she has. Her daughter Mekayla is one of 22 missing children in the province of Saskatchewan, and she wants to see all of them back with their families. That was the message behind the second Mekayla Bali Walk of Hope.
Beginning at Sacred Heart High School, the walk went down Smith Street. The walk stopped at the offices of MP Cathay Wagantall, MLA Greg Ottenbreit, and the municipal RCMP to put a poster demanding action on behalf of missing kids, with 22 candles representing those missing children. They carried teddy bears representing each of those children to Western Financial Group City Centre Park. At the park itself, families could fingerprint and photograph their kids just in case they went missing so they would be easy to find, with a booth offered by the RCMP and ChildFind Saskatchewan. There was a barbecue by Save-On Foods as well as a presentation on safety for kids by Parkland Search and Rescue.
“I just feel like there is a lack of support in terms all of the missing children in the province and it’s not being commemorated anywhere. For us it’s a point of honouring those missing children,” said Bali.
The focus of the day was on child safety and Bali hopes parents get their children fingerprinted just in case something happens to them.
“I realized that when Mekayla went missing that was something I hadn’t had done for her.”
They are also encouraging kids to walk to school with a buddy, for example, because kids most often go missing when they are alone. In general, the theme of the day was to get families to make smart decisions and ensure no more children go missing.
“One of the stories of Mekayla is that if she can go missing, anybody can, because she certainly wasn’t a high-risk youth. I think for us it’s a challenge to encourage everyone to make good, safe decisions.”
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